Subject: Re: Enough is enough
Date: Mar 5 07:34:53 1997
From: Don Baccus - donb at rational.com


>That's one on-topic message out of sixteen.

The question, of course, is whether or not conservation issues like
shade-vs-sun grown coffee is "on-topic".

Note that by your definition, your post is "off-topic". Why'd you
post it? Trying to inflate the numbers?

This is the third time we've had this discussion since I've been on
tweeters, and an overwhelming majority of posters in each case has
declared that their view of this list is that it is *NOT* strictly
about birding.

>Part of being an adult is knowing when to quit and part of net etiquette
>is knowing when to take a discussion private or to a different forum.

Part of net etiquette is to be careful when speaking about net etiquette
to someone like myself who's been on the net since about 1980. Part of
net etiquette is knowing that the group, not you, will decide what is or
is not appropriate. If any single individual will make that decision,
it will be the person who administrates the list - Dan Victor. He's
chosen not to - thus far, at least.

>Anyone know of a good BIRDING list to suscribe to?

Yes, OBOL sounds like the list for you, though it deals with Oregon,
not Washington, birds and birding.

If you peruse OBOL, you'll note that despite my being a member, I never
post about conservation issues or other topics you would disapprove of.

This is because, unlike tweeters, OBOL *IS* specifically about birding
and specifically speaks of "not wanting to be like tweeters".

If you want an equivalent list for Washington, why not start your own?
It's not difficult.

On the other hand, if tweeters-at-large decide to *CHANGE* this list into
a strictly-birding list (please note the use of the word CHANGE), then I
am certain that those of us who post non-birding stuff would cease to do
so.

Until this *CHANGE* is declared, though, I will feel free to continue
to post messages on the various topics that arise and that traditionally
have been considered to be *ON-TOPIC* for tweeters.

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, at (NEW) http://donb.photo.net