So to recap the final score in the Birding Super Bowl of Whining!!!!
Indignant casual birder 14 Righteous photographers who cause no harm 9 Elitist birders who withhold sightings 7 Sensitive birders who see all sides 17 Pushy photographers who flush Owls 0 Silent lurkers who enjoy reading posts about birds 176,894 Can't we get back to birds?? Sorry but, is this subject not beaten to death at this point?..please accept my humorous suggestion to move on. Thanks. Patrick in Eastport From: bounce-39770075-13703...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-39770075-13703...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Nadine Scarpa Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 3:40 PM To: Jim Osterlund Cc: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] ethics, photographers, knee-jerks, op-eds On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 1:58 PM, Jim Osterlund <james...@optonline.net> wrote: "Capitalism is the American way, and I'm all for it. So let's consider a capitalistic approach to the problem. Let's boycott, and advocate boycotting to others, the sale of those photos. Let's point out to the editors of publications we see with photos that cause us concern exactly what our concerns are and that our concerns might lead us to ceasing to subscribe. " The sale of WHICH photos? How on earth are you going to know which photos were taken "appropriately" (without causing a disturbance to the subject) and which were taken "inappropriately"? MANY photographers have amazingly huge lenses that allow for shots from long distances - so you would have no way to know how close a photo was taken. Now it appears you may be punishing ALL photographers for the actions of a few. If you know a specific NAME of a photographer who acts inappropriately while taking wildlife photos, go ahead and boycott them. However, many photographers sell their photos to other companies, so that wouldn't even work. There is no good way to do this, other than to try and educate the photographers and birders who WANT to be educated, and report the rest to the appropriate authorities. On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 1:58 PM, Jim Osterlund <james...@optonline.net> wrote: Response I got from NYSDEC echos that given to another who's posted here. It was basically advise to contact the appropriate ECO, but it included a discouraging addition; "Yes harassing wildlife is a violation of the ECL. Proving it and prosecuting it is another issue." So, we've heard anecdotes, opinions, bile, ridicule and humor, but little has been gained beyond exposing the old-school secret-society element. That has been useful to me personally. it has been my wont to accurately show locations with my posts and even to supplement the posts of others; I will discontinue that practice lest I incur reprisal for offending them. One aspect of the original problem has gone untouched, curiously enough, and goes to the distinction between "them" and "us". "We" are amateurs, hobbyists; even those of us with credentials are to be so considered because we don't get paid for it. When we get a particularly good sighting or photograph, we take it home and cherish it. "They" copyright and post their photos, offering them for sale. "We" try for the best view or shot we can get, the more to cherish; "they" try for the better shot to increase its value. "They" are at work; "we" are at play. Things like codes of ethics, consideration, good manners; these are for the likes of "us", and not for professionals at work. Capitalism is the American way, and I'm all for it. So let's consider a capitalistic approach to the problem. Let's boycott, and advocate boycotting to others, the sale of those photos. Let's point out to the editors of publications we see with photos that cause us concern exactly what our concerns are and that our concerns might lead us to ceasing to subscribe. Let word of this spread amongst "them"; we saw in an anecdote posted earlier that a photographer doing wrong responded immediately and correctly - to word from another photographer. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
