RE: [Killietalk] Newbies at the convention

["Tom Grady" <killienutz at killienutz_com>]

Which year/convention did you attend?

For one - I would never suggest A. australe to a beginner despite the
reputation it has.  But if you are percieved as "New" - people are trying to
be helpful and that is one species many believe is a good starter fish.
There are killies - and I do not care if someone kept livebearers or
cichlids for 30 years - that 'New" people are not experienced enough to
successfully propagate for a variety of reasons ranging from the extreme
rarity of the species to needing to practice techniques to gain the
knowledge of killie behavior. Even with 30+ years of experience in killies,
there are fish I would gladly hand over to certain accomplished hobbyists to
make certain the species was successfully established in the hobby.

I am sorry if you felt killie-keepers are inhospitable and cliquish, but I
do not agree with your opinion at all - but have found most killie-folks to
be open, warm and genuinely interested in helping newbies ... but as with
every hobby, there are a few who come across poorly - if unintentionally.

I do believe a 'convention' is what you make and take out of it.  When
100-200 killie-folk get together one time a year - it is a reunion for many
of them.  The convention committee is often too small and too busy to take
newbies by the hand and lead them around doing introductions, but the other
side of that point is this:  If you have a real interest in killies, then
introduce yourself to lots of people, find those from your area - hmmm
Detroit ... well avoid Karl Doering (joking Karl ... joking) - he is one of
those grumpie old farts.

I went to my first convention a very long time ago - I felt alienated too,
but I realized that alienation was as much my own fault as it was anyone
elses.  When people do not know others, they tend to seem a bit standoffish
in any situation - it takes time develop comfort levels in any situation in
life.  Try joining any orgnaization that exists - from a church to the
American Legion - the first few times, you are going to feel uncomfortable -
you do not know people, what to say or how to act, but over time (and often
buying a few drinks) people become more comfortable with each other.  That
is a two-way street - the old farts also do not always know how to act with
you.

Okay ... off the soapbox ...

Tom Grady
Northern New York

KillieNutz - the premier Killie News website featuring KillieAuctions.
http://www.killienutz.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Obiekt172 at aol_com [mailto:Obiekt172 at aol_com]
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 10:19 PM
To: killietalk at aka_org
Subject: [Killietalk] Newbies at the convention





A newbie at the convention it not Necessarily a newbie to Killifish or the
Hobby,

Not everyone in the AKA is tied to this organization alone, one close
sister
group the
ALA, has many killie fans and many Livebearer people are also killie
keepers
as well as paying members of the AKA, just we focus more toward the
livebearing toothcarps in day to day operations and interest.

It would be nice if a few in the AKA would realize that some  that attend
have been
around the block a bit, I know the first convention I attended I was talked
down to like I'm sucking my thumb, because I was unfamiliar and fairly
young,
so  must not know anything.

I'm not one that takes kindly to being told a fish I have and have
reproduced successfully
for many generations is too difficult for me because I have no experience
in
Killies,
and then offered some Aphy. australe "golds" so I can gain experience in
keeping killies.

I have to say that was the last convention I bothered to go to and have
little interest in
being insulted like that again, so have never bothered to go to  a national
convention
since.

Not all Killie keepers are "Grumpy old men" some of us are the younger
generation that will take over this organization as you all pass away. As we
see
it now though, you are a bunch of inhospitable old farts with a decidedly
clickish attitude that isolates us and really makes us feel very unwelcome
to be
around you. This may not be true, but it is the feeling we get
by your actions.

Richard Kik IV
Detroit, Michigan




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Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/



To join the AKA see http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html
Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/