[Coral-List] Educating the Masses: Internet Fora

Jim Hendee Jim.Hendee at noaa.gov
Thu Aug 7 07:16:22 EDT 2008


"When you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

I don't know who originally said that, but maybe my proposal to start a 
blog (thread below) was like that, since I've set up several for our 
station maintenance logs.  It was an easy way to get something going 
with a Web page, but as one Coral-Lister wrote to me, that may not be 
the best way to go about this, and he's contemplating starting something 
else (i.e., maybe we need a screwdriver).

Here's an interesting Wikipedia article on the different Internet fora:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum

If you start looking into these new ways of Internet discussions, you'll 
see that it would take an investment in time both on the part of the 
Administrator, and by the users in learning how to use them, so think 
about the trade-offs.

Hopefully the appropriate vehicle will come together to help facilitate 
the goal.  In the mean time, you may of course continue to use 
Coral-List or the blog, as desired, or as an addition to something new 
that might come along.

    Cheers,
    Jim

P.S.  One interesting feature of the blog is that it has an RSS export 
function [see bottom of blog: "Subscribe to:  Posts (Atom)"] so that 
your RSS Reader can capture new posts, without you having to continually 
check to see if something new is posted.  For instance, your My Yahoo or 
iGoogle page can have a little section showing the RSS feed of the 
blog.  It works!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Hendee wrote:
> 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
> _______________________________________________
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> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>   




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