Thank you Andy,

I barely made it through the explanitory post. I appreciate full names.

Jane
Jane Stewart
Research Center
Foster Pepper & Shefelman
206.447.2811 t
206.447 9700 f
stewj at foster.com

>----------
>From: steppie at wolfenet.com[SMTP:steppie at wolfenet.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 1997 8:30PM
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Re: Bird Name Codes
>
>Although nobody asked whether four-letter codes for bird names are
>appropriate for Tweeters, I'm going to post my 2-cents worth.
>
>I believe these codes have a place. They obviously are important in any
>database where entering and retieval of data is the primary goal.
>
>However, I see no reason why they should appear in Tweeters. As I read
>through the numerous postings to this forum, I recognize that Tweeters
>attracts people interested in birds. I sense people who are beginning
>birdwatchers, intermediate and advanced log on. Scientists also read
>Tweeters. People interested in the arts read Tweeters.
>
>Why should we create any barriers to the understanding, or enjoyment of the
>postings on Tweeters by using these codes? In reality, these codes are a
>foreign language. Most readers of Tweeters will have to break stride to read
>messages with four-letter codes. I believe the world is all ready saturated
>with acronyms, codes and jargon. My vote is to keep it simple. The English
>language (and all other languages) are a beautiful medium.
>
>What would you rather read and savor: "Agile Tit-Tyrant," "Warbling
>Antbird," "Reddish-winged Bare-eye," "Cinerous Mourner," "Spangled Cotinga,"
>or "Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant," or...whatever four-letter code might be
>concocted for these evocative, sensual, or wonderfully descriptive names? By
>the way, all of the above were gleaned from Birds of Venezuela by Schauensee
>and Phelps.
>
>I, for one, will never use these codes in a laymans forum like Tweeters. I
>should say, however, that I maintain databases, where to use anything but
>these codes, would be unwieldly and inefficient.
>
>We have such a beautiful language! Let's savor and use it!
>
>Andy Stepniewski
>Wapato, WA
>
>
>