[MDOsprey] (Fwd) Re: MD Osprey.

Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Sun, 11 Jul 1999 07:28:01 -0500


The following is a response I sent privately to someone who was
remonstrating with me over my use of sarcasm.  I hope it gets
my point of view across once and for all.

Norm

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:           	Norm Saunders <osprey@ari.net>
Subject:        	Re: MD Osprey.
Date sent:      	Sun, 11 Jul 1999 07:18:25 -0500

There is a website that describes the background of MDOsprey,
where it came from, why it was set up, what the intended useage
of the list is.  When people subscribe to the list they get a
significantly shortened but essentially clear statement of the
philosophy of the list as well as of the ownership of the list.  My 
conclusion has to be that many are not reading this material
or, having read it, they want to change things all on their own to 
the way they think the list should be run.

When we spoke before I said that an occasional posting of something
extraordinary from out of state was okay.  My posting last week was 
sarcastic because it was the end of a long, hot week, I was tired, and 
just about all I had been seeing all week long was material from
other states.  If my sarcasm was heavy-handed, I apologize for that.

We have gotten some of the finest Maryland birders in the state
talking about the birds they see.  Filling the list up with the other
material will only serve to push them away from this forum and we
will end up with a mish-mash of cross-postings that really interest
only small portions of the people using the list, the rest just deleting
them without reading them.  In the past week I have deleted about 
90% of these sorts of postings unread, a terrible waste of this
wonderful resource.

If we lose readers from MDOsprey because they only want to know
about Virginia or Delaware or New Jersey birds, so be it.  This list
is about Maryland birds.

One thing I have considered doing is making the list monitored.  I don't
want the bother of clearing every message before it gets posted, but
if that's what it takes, then perhaps I'll do that for awhile.  I had hoped, 
however, that our readers would understand the ideas behind the
list and police themselves.  Perhaps this discussion will serve that
purpose.

Best,
Norm Saunders

===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net