[Killietalk] How Many More Miles?

[ROBERT ELLERMANN <ruevenm at sbcglobal_net>]

There's nothing demeaning about it, Larry. Representives are elected to represent the members but new ideas can be tried without everyone being pleased -- that's leadership in representation. Representatives are not just rubber stamps. Hopefully, they are a bit smarter; a bit better informed and possess a keener sense of tomorrow -- or so they should or why did anyone vote for them? If they are no smarter than me then why was I stupid enough to vote for them and why do they even have the job? Sometimes new ideas have to risk being unpopular for a greater good down the line. Its one way to use political capital, the way I think alot people would actually like to see return to government. If it fails and you don't get re-elected -- so be it. Elected government service is not a lifetime job, at least as intended. Plus a majority of AKA members are not members of Killitalk and judging from that I'd guess they could care less what happens. Now, if you took
 down Aquabid I bet you'd here many more complaints but what could the AKA do about that? We all left the F&EL for Aquabid -- a non-AKA service. The Forum could make the F&EL alive again. Its only a vocal minority that seems agrieved and as far as "demeaning" goes the attacks on Barry and the BOT are pretty demeaning. I never understand why he and Brian always get so much mud thrown at them. Its just a fish club. They're volunteers and no one's life is seriously effected by anything they do or don't do for the AKA. Its a club and this is nothing but what always happens in small groups -- mole hills become mountains in some people's eyes. Also, I may be wrong, but did the AKA start Killitalk or was it and the Forum simply begun by interested individuals and then later both just sort of became AKA "property" by assumption or default? If that is true the plug could be pulled at anytime and the AKA or its members really have no say so. The Forum
 is just trying something different. I am a member of many Forums and they are all 1000%'s of times better than Killitalk. I get to see all sorts of photos; topics range over larger and better organized areas; the organization itself is represented more impressively; old threads can be found and restarted, and on and on. I'd say the AKA Forum needs many more categories than it now has. Each genus should have a topic heading, as well as breeding, water conditions, collecting, conservation, fishrooms, a lounge, foods, plants, AKA business, 
etc... It could be a spectacular place for killies. I think both the DKG and BKA use Forums, as do the many discus, labyrinth fish, guppy, livebearer, cichlid, pleco, catfish, bettas, angles, saltwater, monster fish, plants, etc groups do. Why on earth would we want to stay with something so outmoded and outdated as Killitalk? This is such a no-brainer. It should not have caused a peep. We are talking about learning to push a few extra buttons. It sounds a little like the old Elizabeth Taylor joke Joan Rivers used to tell when Taylor first became overweight. "What does Liz Taylor say to the microwave? HURRY!" How fast does the product have to be? 

 
 
--- On Sun, 8/16/09, Larry B. <Texaslarry at stx_rr.com> wrote:


From: Larry B. <Texaslarry at stx_rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] How Many More Miles?
To: killietalk at aka_org
Date: Sunday, August 16, 2009, 8:26 PM



This is what the BOT does as it wants and not what the members want. ANd why I will never be a member again.  Bobby, doesn't an organization owe some loyalty to the members. No matter how small or big, the issue is when a BOT is elected they are elected to do the members bidding not to do what they want.. If a serious issue comes up, the BOT owes it to the members to see what they might want.

If you feel that its just teeny fish and the issues are miniscule, why even comment on the issue. To me you demean every member of the AKA when you put it that way.  New ideas are great but if it means doing away with something that is considered important by the members, shouldn't the why and wherefore be investigated  and shouldn't the members be queried ?

Just sayin !

Larry B.



At 03:22 PM 8/16/2009, you wrote:
> From: ROBERT ELLERMANN <ruevenm at sbcglobal_net>
> Subject: [Killietalk] How Many More Miles?
> To: killifish discussion list <killietalk at aka_org>
> 
> Hi,
> ?
> ?? Why does the fish hobby get political? It reads like a tempest in a teapot. The AKA's BOT is not some backroom political machine deciding people's fates. We are talking about things that in the big picture come down to 6 of one half a dozen of the other. None of this is important by any objective standard. Its just playing around with fish and debating tiny, tiny, tiny issues that can be changed on a dime if need be. It is small potatoes of the first order. Who cares if the AKA is run as an "old boy's club"?because a) it's not and b) it is mostly an old (white) boy's club -- take a look around; who else is going run it -?women? African Americans? Gays? Latinos? Asians? They're barely represented in the membership to the AKA's detriment. That leaves the old boys as both workers and critics! As an example, women, unfortunately,?play a very small role in the history of the AKA and even less than in the old days when those stay at home wives often
>  acted as civilizing forces. One could argue that what the fish hobby needs is more women! The good old boys don't always play well with one another or create an inviting atmosphere when left to their own devices. They usuallly are in need of social skills -- one need only look at politics in general to see that maxim in action. But the AKA is run by people willing to do work. Period. Most clubs are and those people usually have a bigger say -- albeit unofficially -- than those members shouting about idealized notions of democracy without living the accompanying responsibility and sacrifice such democracy actually rests on. If someone wants to have a voice, run for election and do the work. That's all it takes. Otherwise, wait and see what happens as new ideas can turn out quite well when given half a non-bitching and moaning chance. The AKA is not run by paid employees devoted to keep fishrooms across the USA running well and full of happy fish and
>  hobbyists. The AKA is just too small for turf fights. There's no?"turf" to own -- be in Killitalk or a Forum. Its just fish! And we have more killifish than we know what to do with! That is proof of the AKA's overwhelming 50 years of success. If the Forum is a mistake -- fine -- the AKA and its leadership has earned one.
> ?
> Bobby
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