Do you think Ohio birders need another statewide message list, other than this one? Do you feel the guidelines of ohio-birds unduly restrict the things you want to discuss? Before you answer in the affirmative, please check the guidelines at http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/emaillist.php#guidelines , because they have recently been rewritten! Do beginners feel unwelcome here? Have you learned things here, and have more experienced folks been helpful, or has it all remained over your head? [Please—-let's hear from beginners here, not others who think they know what beginners want]. Would you participate in a separate list to discuss perennially controversial topics---party politics, the ethics of hunting or pet cats outside, etc.? Is our focus on wild birds too narrow, and would you like the OOS to provide a way for Ohioans to discuss pet/captive birds? Would you like to see profit-based advertising on another OOS list? Feel free to post to the list, or to send your opinions only to me: in the latter case, while I may make your opinions public as part of a summary or even quote them, your identity will remain confidential unless you instruct me otherwise. The big questions are two: (1) is pertinent discussion on ohio-birds too restricted by our guidelines? And (2) is ohio-birds not helpful to beginners? If you have something nice to say about ohio-birds what would be OK, too. Either way, your help will be much appreciated. Bill Whan Ohio Ornithological Society ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]