Re: On Line Listing-collecting trips

["Erny May" <emay1 at wi_rr.com>]

I am in complete agreement Bobby! You make excellent points. This is
a note worthy discussion and has been exemplary in that it lacks the rancor
so many of the past discussions have had.

                                                  Erny
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RuevenM at aol_com>
To: <killietalk at AKA_Org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 10:20 AM
Subject: On Line Listing-collecting trips


> Hi,
>
>     The more I read about the ideas for these collecting trips the more I
am
> opposed to them. I wish I had been at the convention as I would have
spoken up
> loud and clear in the negative. My first question is what species of
killies
> are we going to get that is so desirable or so unavailable that we simply
must
> have it? I can think of maybe Notho. polli or a new collection of N.
furzeri
> but who in their right mind would go where they are found! We obviously
need
> the old red occidentalis but who is going into that war zone? Same for
> kywaensis (spelling)! If these trips are to find new species -- please. A
lack of
> avaialble species is the least of the killie hobby's problems. Let the
scientists
> and universities do  their job in that area -- or private trips by
hobbyists
> who wish to extend their hobby into collecting new species as part of
their fun.
>      I see this whole idea as a big waste of time, energy, volunteers and
> money. There are so many other areas where the AKA can put its resources.
Like
> why not publish a big, all inclusive, color photo filled popular press
tons of
> information killie book!!!!!!! Let that bring us members. Why not give
Barry a
> break and hire a computer professional to redo our online presence so all
> people's passwords or whatever can work with the sight and to configure it
so we
> could have discussion forums open to  anyone and not just killitalk and
could
> set up an on line F&EL. It is not right to  ask Barry to do all this. That
job
> should have a paycheck of some sort.
>     The convention might have been a bad place to float a collecting trip
> idea. Everyone is seeing collecting presentations and thinking about new
fish so
> naturally collecting trips will sound neato keeno.
>      The problem will killie distribution is we have a Model T system in a
> supersonic world and it is time for real change. Also, the problem is
people are
> so busy they do not have time to raise enough fish or to deal with the
post
> office and mailing. We live in a more selfish age than the 60's and 70's
where
> self-centeredness is celebrated and worshiped. It is harder to get people
to
> do hobby stuff. Hopefully, an on line list would help distribute those 3-4
> extra pairs if not those 20-30 of yesteryear.
>      Lastly, why not use Toyin for imports? He is African. He has
contacts.
> Why not work with him instead of against him? He is potentially a greater
> resource than he is now.
>     The modern interconnected world offers so many potential solutions to
all
> these issues that there is no need for anyone to be left out of an on line
> presence or for anyone to leave the comfort of home to obtain wild or new
> killies. Why not find ways to make a global killie hobby work for us.
>     I believe the urge for making collecting trips and the obsession for
> exact location labels has overwhelmed other more important aspects of the
killie
> hobby these last 10 years. I have been around some killie hobbyists who
stick
> their nose in the air if you have not also collected in the field and the
words
> "aqaurium strain" might as well be replaced by "ghetto." Of course, some
of
> these same people coud not keep a strain of guppies alive past 1
generation and
> their tanks are small, flithy, unfiltered and filled with diseased fish -- 
> but they have waded through African mudpuddles and know their location
code
> numbers and towns.
>     The N&RSC may be a Model T too. There are so many species out there
and
> so many people go collecting today that a centralized committee may just
be
> unnecessary. Why should someone devote many tanks to essentially
transhipping
> fish? There was a need for that in the old days but not now. Again, the
reality
> has passed that method by. It's time to let it go.
>
> Bobby Ellermann
> ---------------
> See http://www.aka.org/pages/killietalk/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
> Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html
>



---------------
See http://www.aka.org/pages/killietalk/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html