[Birdtalk] RE: [Birdnet] Two (and more) listserves

[Glenda Cotter]

Thanks to you, Milt, for all the work you do to keep our two listservs going. I personally like having both BirdNet and BirdTalk. Though there are sometimes small confusions and inconsistencies, these are minor irritations when compared to the benefits of having both hotline reports and musings, which are valuable in their different ways.

Thanks again,
Glenda Cotter
 

-----Original Message-----
From: birdnet-bounces at utahbirds.org [mailto:birdnet-bounces at utahbirds.org] On Behalf Of Milt Moody
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 10:33 AM
To: Birdnet Hotline
Subject: [Birdnet] Two (and more) listserves


There are a lot of different types of birders out there.  Some don't even check their emails every day,  if you can imagine that - several days of BirdTalk messages can sometimes add up to be  good-sized lump .  I know people who don't want to (or may not have time to) read the BirdTalk messages and just want the birdnet and I also know people who just prefer the BirdTalk even though I've offered to sign them up for , what I consider to be the more important birdnet,  but they didn't want to do that.

It may seem like there is "absolutely no moderation" of the listservs, but that is not the case.  (There are few people who know what is actually involved in the listserv process).  Because almost all messages go straight through to the listservs, the messages are not moderated before they're posted (and sometime not even afterwards by the webmaster unless there seems to be a pattern).  There may be some unofficial moderation going on also and that's fine - I hope just  it's being done in a friendly, considerate and sensitive way.  I done know how serious people want these listservs to be, but as for me I'd rather not have them be too ridged, if that is possible.  I'd like to think that we have a friendly group that likes birds and other birders as well.  I think most people are patient enough to overlook some "inappropriate" stuff - if we had just one listserv everybody would have to "wade" thought everything instead of just a  little, now and then, that is not quite to their taste  - seems to me.

Even thought the system is not perfect, there are several reasons to have the birdnet separate from BirdTalk.  Besides what I've mentioned above concerning volume and interest, there are several people who have signed up for the birdnet so that it sends a text message to their cell phones - having all messages from the BirdTalk also "ring" their phones might be a little more than they want.  There aren't very many that are doing this, perhaps, but the system is there for those who do.  Here's a link to instruction on how to do that for those interested:
http://www.utahbirds.org/connections/InstantAlert.html

If some of the listservs are not being used very much it may indicate that they are not necessary, that may be the case OR it may be that people are missing an opportunity to communicate to a more specific group in a more effective way about local events, activities and stuff that they hesitate to send to the whole state.  If the system actually exists, maybe people will come to use it - if it doesn't exist they certainly won't.  I don't think they're being used as much as they should be, but I wouldn't want to force people to use them or NOT use them either.

I feel like we have a very good group of people who use the listservs.  I'm more impressed with how WELL people use them and how FEW there are that don't quite use them exactly right and still how VERY FEW there are that use them in an inappropriate way.  

Here's a link to the sign up page with information on how the listservs were designed to be used for those who may want to review that:
http://www.utahbirds.org/connections/E-hotlines.htm

And here's a link to the "Listserv Etiquette" page that has fairly recently been revised:
http://www.utahbirds.org/connections/E-hotlinesRules.html

Sorry about going on for so long,
Milt
utahbirds.org webmaster







      

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