Not that anyone has been waiting with bated breath for my input on this issue, but Andy's points make a lot of sense to me...
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Jim (Michael) Speicher
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From: Andrew McGann <andrew.mcgann...>
To: <mdbirding...>
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 2:02 PM
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Thoughts on Facebook and Twitter
Hey MD birders,
I've been following this discussion with keen interest. A couple of thoughts I'd like to share:
First, I think the unspoken goal here, for everyone, is to cultivate a community of birders in Maryland. It's encouraging to me to see that so many people have voiced their opinions about the qualities and culture they hope to foster in our community.
Second, I agree with the "pro Facebook" voices in this discussion, as I see some strong upsides to a diverse set of bird/social media experiences. I don't think a Facebook group or a collection of Twitter-ers detracts from the listserv format, as long as individual people continue to put in the effort to write exemplary "long form" posts for the listserv. But that also speaks to the other side of this double-edged sword: that it requires a little bit more conscientious thought about what --and how-- to share. I think these things don't exactly look after themselves, a little thought & education go a long way. A vibrant community depends on thoughtful sharers. Call them loudmouths or leaders or creators or whatever, but we need people to step up. But this is nothing new, and the goal remains to cultivate the minds of our fellow birders.
Each medium has its inherent strengths and inherent vice. I see Twitter and group texting services (such as the infamous "Kee Kee Kerr" in Cape May) as ways to quickly get the word out on rarities. It is like getting Tornado Warnings for your area sent straight to your cell phone (yes, you can do that now!), rather than tuning into the Weather Channel on TV or the internet. It's an emerging technology, and the ability to immediately relay CRITICAL information will help more people see more rare birds. But it goes without saying that intellectual birders want to do more than simply see birds.
In my opinion, eBird is the best way to share and follow the raw information. It's simply the most complete format for the collective storing and distribution of bird-encounter information. I can't think of any reasons not to encourage increased usage of this system. With minimal effort, it archives and shares the most complete sets of information. It also now includes ways to share photographs and links to video clips embedded within checklists. Another advantage is that it provides a tremendous resource to birders (e.g. travelers from out of state), who might not be part of the conversations and knowledge bank that come from following the listserv or Facebook group over the years.
The listserv (or Google Forum) remains the best format for long-form communication. But, like outstanding investigative journalism, outstanding posts take more effort. The benefits are enormous. The birders who are most successful at finding rare birds don't just know how to ID birds, and where to go, and when. They also know what to do when they get there. We would all do well to think about the differences between communicating basic facts, conveying knowledge, and passing on wisdom.
I disagree with the idea that the Facebook group and Twitter groups should be "distanced" from the Google Group, or the MOS for that matter. The simple fact is that none of these forums ARE the community. The PEOPLE are the community. And just like we still meet up with our friends in person, and talk on the phone at other times, and text each other (some more than others)� we can carry on with each other in all sorts of formats in our modern, diverse media environment. And there is a great opportunity to recruit more people into our ranks, as well as raise our individual and collective ornithological IQs.
All birders know that it's a slippery slope, that very quickly one's life can go from putting up a backyard feeder to buying $1000 binoculars. It starts when people first notice birds, and it piques something in their brain that wants to know more about the objective Universe going on beyond our subjective sensory experiences. That slippery slope is greased with information, and I think the best way to ensnare more birders to lubricate it with informative communications. Via any and all formats.
So as for practical guidelines, no, we shouldn't all share every encounter we ever have with birds. We have hard limits to how much information we can digest. We need discretion, as always, since time immemorial. It's the difference between telling --and hearing-- what all of your friends eat for lunch every day, and hearing about a great new restaurant that just opened up. Pick one or more audience(s) and tailor the message especially for each one. Some information has more value to larger or smaller audiences. And don't stress too much about the grey areas. Redundancy is vital to communication. We all suffer from information overload anyway, and sins of omission are much worse when it comes to birds. ;-)
To that end, what I TRY to do (and often fall short) is 1.) get the word out ASAP, ideally in real time, about a rarity sighting 2.) always enter my sightings in eBird, 3.) If I feel so moved, I write an enhanced post that goes beyond the checklist to include something like a birding strategy or other added value, like photos or video clips or geographic knowledge, and then share that with the Facebook Group and/or the listserv, depending on the material. Actually, one of my favorite concepts for the Facebook Group is that it's much easier to integrate your story with multimedia, such as video clips. For example, if anyone takes the time to edit together a little video tutorial on Dowitcher ID, Facebook makes it incredibly easy to share and view it.
Species evolve, cultures drift, and all individual people can do in one lifetime is adapt. Or not. But our best standard-bearers don't just stand there. They move forward.
Good birding to all, and three cheers for the reincarnation of MDOsprey into this Google Group forum!
Andy
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Andrew McGann
York, PA
(and very often Baltimore, MD)
(757) 561-0256
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