[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

NFC: THE LIST/survey & other ramblings



Hi all!

Am I the only one that thinks it's ironic that Robert's questions about
low traffic on the message list have sparked more traffic than it has
seen for a while? 

========================================================================
1. Where are you from?
   DeKalb, IL

2. How often do you check your e-mail?
   Many times a day (signifying the fact that I have no life).

3. What is your favorite thing about the NFC list?
   Messages concerning the care of native fish, discoveries people
have    made, and projects members are working on. Oh yeah, and
the       occasional phrase that pops up in Klingon (that's not a
"favorite       thing." I just find it amusing in a weird/humorous sort
of way).

4. What is your least favorite?
   Getting the same message 5 times because it's been posted on most
of    the NFC lists. 

5. If you could make one change, what would it be?
   The opportunity to proofread Robert's articles before he sends
them     out ;-) That or complete global domination!

========================================================================

> To expand on this a little, how about this:  how about developing an  > hour or so program that could be used either as a verbatim talk or as > a template...Maybe one talk for kids, another for nonprofessional     > adults. One for adults could be used not only for aquarium clubs but  > perhaps religious organization adult events, or schedule something for > adults for local library branch. -Chuck Church

I think putting our heads together to come up with a couple different
outlines for native fish presentations would be a good idea. These
wouldn't have to clutter the website, but be made available for those
who need them. Heck, most or all of the info is probably in the article
archive on the website. It would just be a matter of pulling out the
right bits of info and putting them in the right order. Whoever would be
speaking might have to figure out how to give it a local twist, or
tailor it to the group he/she will be speaking to, but it would be
better than winging it!

> If a regional group got together and put together a 30 minute video
> about the wildlife in the local watershed, touching on the niches each
> species fills, you can bet the public school teachers will devote a
> class day to the viewing of such a tape. -Chris Hedemark

An educational video like this would go great with the adopt-a-tank
program, and would probably increase the attractiveness of the project
to would-be project hosts.

> How about setting up a tank at the local museum and having a volunteer
> come by once a week to maintain it and replenish brochures provided   > next to the tank? -Chris Hedemark

Great idea Chris! Providing some kind of pamphlet next to adopt-a-tank
projects in public places would certainly help interested parties
discover NFC's existence. 

> This is only the tip of the iceberg, folks.  I don't know a lot about
> the NFC (just found it a few days ago) -Chris Hedemark

Welcome aboard Chris!

> And from the front page, make prominent links to pages for
> newcomers to read.  These few pages should have high visual appeal and
> assume a short attention span to "hook" the reader. -Chris Hedemark

While I think the web site is great, I do think a little more can be
done to make it more user friendly for newcomers. Whenever any sort of
document is presented, one must have faith in the short attention spans
of modern man. It's a well known fact in the technical writing community
that people will quickly lose interest when they have to spend little
more than a modicum of effort to find what they are looking for. 

> Good idea but we need to have ways to access these resources , how    > does a fishing camp ask for a NFC speaker ? For that Matter how does  > anyone get a NFC speaker except for me No one in the nFC does much    > public speaking....-R.Rice

Yet, there are probably some members (myself included) that would be
willing to do so if they felt better prepared. Thus the need to develop
some sort of public speaking protocol. One confident speaker can move
many people.
 
> We have tried photos with pics and the download time is so hight that
> people just stop , so we made things as simple as possible on the site
> -R.Rice

How about just one or two smaller pictures for each article? Or is that
what you've tried already? Maybe a thumbnailed link to a larger image on
the gallery page would help. It would certainly make the articles more
attractive. Plus it would save a newcomer the effort of having to search
for a picture of the fish spoken of in the article (again- the "saving
time to keep the readers interest" principle).

> We need to get more collecting trips as groups. Also look at having
> a national convention. -Bill Flowers

Seeing as how my own feeble attempt to collect has proven fruitless (2
homemade minnow traps- one disappeared and the other fell apart), and I
really don't have the funds to purchase all the necessary equipment, I
would very much like to go collecting with some others. What I lack in
equipment I can make up for with manpower and enthusiasm!

Though Mark Binkley has generously offered to take me collecting in
Ohio, I no longer trust my car to make it that far :-( Therefore, if
anybody is interested in going collecting in the northern
Illinois/Indiana or southern Wisconsin area, please let me know. I need
to stock my tank!

Just one other thing. How about a page on the NFC web site devoted to
the aquariums and/or ponds of NFC members? I've heard a whole lot on
various members' tanks since joining NFC, and would really love to see
some of them! 

Cheers,

Tony Gustafson

Follow-Ups: