OHIO-BIRDS Archives

October 2012

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Subject:
From:
Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:37:59 -0400
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Hi,

Well I have set off another discussion both here and on facebook.

It seems people who use the facebook group prefer facebook, and people who
use the listserve prefer the list serve.  The facebook group has nearly the
same number of members as the listserve has users, and while there is
overlap, it does not seem there will be a consensus on where rarities
should be reported.

As has been pointed out, not all rarities get reported in either location
anyway, and we have to wait to read about them in the newspaper.

We are it seems, on a cusp.  The listserve has done us well for over a
decade, but it has limitations because we rely upon free hosting.  However,
as Buster pointed out, it works well for mobile users because we can set
out phones to notify us if there is a new post.  I use a separate email
account for the list serve exclusively which makes this feature especially
useful. But facebook is also free and has far more capability to share
photos and other information, such as showing a location.

What I see, is we as a society are making a transition from stationary  to
mobile computing.  Smart phones and tablet computers put astonishing
capabilities in our pockets and back packs.  My Olympus camera has a
bluetooth accessory that allows me to transfer a photo from my camera to my
phone, and as this becomes a standard feature in cameras I can see a day
coming soon when people will be uploading photos in real time.

While some may not like it, we wont see a roll back of this technology and
the critical mass is shifting.  So we as a birding community need to figure
out how to make it work in the best way possible for everyone.  Facebook
may indeed be the place where people share their bird sightings and
rarities.  This is a step forward and backward at the same time because of
the lack of notification.  I think twitter also has a place.  While limited
to 140 characters it can be used to share images and links plus it is
immediate and can be set up to be like a text message on a mobile phone.
"Prairie Falcon at Findlay reservoir" is well under that 140 character
limit.

In conclusion all I can say is as birders we need to adapt or be left
behind.  If you don't have a smart phone or tablet, it is probably time to
start budgeting for one.  If you don't like facebook... well go ahead and
be stubborn, but it will not make any difference.  In a few years we will
see how this all plays out, but the fact that the report of an extreme
rarity showed up first on facebook means a strong wind is blowing in that
direction.

Haans

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