Thank you to all who have posted even-tempered, constructive responses to the original post. Having read the original, and now re-read it to understand all the responses, I see much positive criticism and potential solution to the problems of communication involved.
I believe the tone of the original was not negative, but suitably neutral. I suspect a name was only mentioned to deflect the idea that the poster could claim any direct knowledge of the sighter or sighting. There did not seem to be any accusatory tone, but rather a request for cross-sharing among multitudinous channels. That said, it would be extra considerate for the sighter to be asked if he minded having his name mentioned in connection with the extended broadcast of the sighting, in case he was feeling a need for more privacy. Some folks may fear a deluge of questions, or worse yet, visitors. Thank you to all those who share and cross-reference in multiple venues. I stay with MOU and MNbird, hoping for others to share if I post anything significant. Facebook is more than I care to manage when volunteer work and homelife need attention. There must be other folks who feel the same way. When all is said and done, if we truly care about the birds and future generations, we need to expend more of our energy on preserving and enhancing habitat, caring for wildlife, and educating young people to do the same. I respect everyone else's choice in how to accomplish that. Linda Whyte On Sat, May 10, 2014 at 10:47 PM, Jesse Ellis <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey all- > > I'm a long-time subscriber to mou-net, and one of the three moderators of > the Minnesota Birding Facebook page. When unusual birds turn up on our > page, we try to encourage members to post to mou-net, and eBird. If it's a > significant rarity we encourage submitting the record to the MOU. However, > we're pretty busy running the page itself, and can't always cross-post > every single interesting species that shows up on the page. (I'm pretty > sure the converse is also true of the MOU-net moderators who are also > members of the Facebook group.) I unfortunately am not able to bird much in > my home state, and thus haven't followed mou-net closely, and don't always > realize when sightings are not cross-posted. We welcome all to the page, > and also hope that mou-net members who are part of the Facebook group will > consider cross-posting sightings here to the group. > > While I don't know the subscribership of mou-net and how we compare, the > Facebook page has generated a large amount of interest from many new > birders, hopefully increasing the number of rarities that are > found/reported. I see this issue as a curse of riches. As more and more > information is generated in the way of sightings, there are more and more > streams of such info to keep up with. While late reports/sharing are of > course regrettable, realize that without other sources of bird sightings, > like eBird, the birding community of Minnesota might actually be missing > more rarities. Indeed, I believe the Hutchinson Northern Hawk-Owl was first > reported not to the Minnesota Birding Facebook page, but to a sort of > sister page for photographers > (Minnesota/Wisconsin/North Dakota Wildlife Photography). > > Mike, I appreciate you cross-posting this sighting! I hope other Facebook > group members will also step up and do so when rarities are reported. We > have no problems with cross-posting either direction, and encourage > everyone to do so. > > Jesse Ellis > > PS - Andrew Nyhus, in response to your question? The photos are > unquestionably a Black-throated Gray Warbler. This has been a pretty good > spring for southwestern/western rarities across the Midwest, and this fits > the pattern quite nicely. > > > On Sat, May 10, 2014 at 8:06 PM, Andrew Nyhus <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > The real question is: Was there actually a Black-throated Gray Warbler > > seen? > > On May 10, 2014 10:00 PM, "Ann Lyons" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Jeez I hate it when this nonsense starts. Isn't there another way to > > > administer the site than expose us all to his nastiness? > > > On May 10, 2014 9:46 PM, "Paul Roisen" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Impugning an individual for posting something on their media of > choice > > > > seems ridiculous. Should people who post on the MOU-NET be censured > > for > > > > not posting on the Minnesota Birding FB page? > > > > > > > > While I agree that it would be nice if we all heard about special > bird > > on > > > > our own favorite media, it is just not going to happen anytime soon. > > In > > > > the case of Brian Plath, he should have been thanked and commended > for > > > > posting and including a photo. > > > > > > > > There may be a need to improve communication between these two > > Minnesota > > > > birding media sites. Maybe someone (administrator for this FB page > or a > > > > member who is also a member of MOU-NET could take it upon themselves > to > > > > pass this info along AND vice versa. > > > > > > > > FB and MOU-NET are both internet based. If you can access FB you can > > > > access MOU_NET so it should not be as difficult as changing from > > > telephone > > > > to internet. > > > > > > > > Maybe not just a matter of "moving with the times" but more of an > > > awareness > > > > of how to connect two important bird information resources so they > can > > > help > > > > each other. > > > > > > > > Michael--Your posting caused me to lose sight of the point you were > > > trying > > > > to make. The issue was communication but you undermined any support > > you > > > > might have gotten when you went off on another of your tirades. No > > > problem > > > > if you wish to vent, but slamming Brian for posting.… I just do not > get > > > it! > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, May 10, 2014 at 8:59 PM, Larry Sirvio <[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Facebook as a way of quickly spreading a message (along with > > photos)is > > > > > just the latest in changing technology. I can imagine a few years > > ago - > > > > as > > > > > the internet started (with mounet) - someone was saying "The > internet > > > > > connected folks found out about a sighting before those of us with > a > > > > > telephone"...and so it goes. In the not too distant future it will > be > > > > > something else. If you want to keep up... keep up with changing > > > > technology. > > > > > > > > > > I've talked to some who are fearful of Facebook. I think this fear > is > > > > > unfounded. It can be confusing. Maybe the biggest problem is that > > there > > > > are > > > > > no instructions. You have to figure it out yourself or get some > help. > > > > > I use mounet and mnbird along with Facebook. I find Facebook a more > > > > useful > > > > > system. Photos, immediate back and forth discussions, imbedded > links, > > > > > imbedded maps, etc. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Larry S > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Michael Hendrickson > > > > > Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2014 8:11 PM > > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > > Subject: [mou-net] Black Throated Gray Warbler > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I just noticed on the Minnesota Birding Facebook site that a birder > > > named > > > > > Brian Plath spotted this warbler in his backyard today (no time > given > > > or > > > > > address) outside Austin, MN. A photo depicting the bird was > attached > > > to > > > > > the sighting. > > > > > > > > > > I am seeing a trend that many Minnesota birders who are not > Facebook > > > > > members are not knowing about casual or accidental sightings that > > have > > > > > shown up in Minnesota. For example the Eurasian Tree Sparrow was > > posted > > > > > initially on Facebook another Facebook site then shared on the > > Minesota > > > > > Birding Facebook site. After 2-3 days this sighting eventually made > > to > > > > the > > > > > MOU newsletter. This is not the first time this has happen where I > > > see a > > > > > significant sighting being posted on Minnesota Birding but it took > > 1-3 > > > > days > > > > > after the initial sighting, the sighting was shared to the MOU > > > listserv. > > > > > > > > > > Hopefully the administrators of Minnesota Birding on Facebook can > > > discuss > > > > > about sharing casual and accidental bird sightings in MN to the MOU > > > > > listserv on a timely basis. > > > > > > > > > > Has anyone else besides me notice this trend? Maybe it's not a big > > deal > > > > but > > > > > I thought I share this for discussion. > > > > > > > > > > Waiting for the warblers to arrive in Duluth. (-: > > > > > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > *Mike Hendrickson* > > > > > > > > > > *Mike Hendrickson Guiding <http://mikehendricksonguiding.com>* > > > > > *Sax-Zim Bog <http://www.sax-zimbog.com>* > > > > > > > > > > ---- > > > > > Join or Leave mou-net: > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > > > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > ---- > > > > > Join or Leave mou-net: > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > > > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > *Paul O. Roisen* > > > > *Woodbury County, IA* > > > > > > > > ---- > > > > Join or Leave mou-net: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > > > > > > ---- > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > > > ---- > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > > > -- > Jesse Ellis > Post-doctoral Researcher > Dept. of Integrative and Comparative Biology, > UCLA > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
