[Coral-List] Educating the Masses: A Blog

[Jim Hendee]

Yea, Team!

    I'm happy to see this subject of coral reef ecosystem outreach 
taking off in a big way.  I'm not trying to sell an idea or anything, 
but I have set up a blog, in case anybody wants to use it for this large 
effort folks are starting to propose.  If  you don't use it, that's 
fine, I'm just trying to help organize.  In fact, if somebody wants to 
be added as Administrator and take over management of the blog, please 
let me know!  It's not like I'm looking for stuff to do!

    Here's the blog:  http://coral-educate.blogspot.com/        (You can 
post pictures!)

    PLEASE NOTE:  This is NOT a NOAA thing (I set it up using my private 
email address, and blogspot.com is another Google tool), so all those 
usual Coral-List type of restrictions are absent (no lobbying, no 
commercial plugs, no pictures, etc.).  However, please continue to be nice!

    I've restricted those who can post to this as "registered users" (at 
least for now), so if you want to be a participant, let me know (Reply 
to this message).  Let me repeat that if somebody wants to take this 
over and totally re-do it, that's fine--my feelings won't be hurt in the 
least! 

    Perhaps this (or another effort) can be a new forum for major 
activities, instead of Coral-List, mainly because it is my hope that a 
large group of activists will take off on this, and just post to 
Coral-List as major new accomplishments arise.

    Here's what the first and only entry says (without the  picture):
~~~~
Greetings,

    This blog has been set up pursuant to discussions emanating from 
Coral-List discussions in July 
<http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/pipermail/coral-list/2008-July/date.html>and 
August 
<http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/pipermail/coral-list/2008-August/date.html>, 
2008, and during the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium 
<http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs>. This is just a tool for consideration 
in reaching the goal of more public awareness on the plight of coral 
reef ecosystems. It is hoped that contributors would be those who would 
serve as educators or those managing larger efforts, rather than the 
public (i.e., "the masses"), and that this forum be used to help design 
and organize one or more major efforts through local, national and 
global media outlets. Thus, please do not join this blog to ask general 
coral reef questions; rather, join this blog as an expert to help 
mobilize a large effort during this, the International Year of the Reef 
(2008), and beyond.

Some helpful suggestions to get things rolling:

    * Identify if you have time and/or resources for this effort
      (especially if you represent a large media outlet!)
    * Provide links to educational resources.
    * State the problems, but wherever possible, also provide proposed
      solutions.
    * Be nice! If you don't like somebody's approach, offer an alternative.

Good luck, and I hope this works!

    Cheers,
    Jim