[Coral-List] cross sectoral dialogue important

Peter Edwards horlicks_1989 at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 21 13:53:44 EST 2006


Hello fellow Coral-listers
   
  I am a recent addition to this list, although I have been aware of its existence for several years. It very interesting that the Guana Cay debate was at its peak when I decided to subscribe. It underscores some of the reasons why my own career path has moved in its current direction
   
  I have noted with interest the comments with respect to re-structuring the list. I have to agree with the position of Jim Hendee.  While at times somewhat too adversarial the dialogue here has been useful for both coral reef advocates and "hard-core" scientists.  It is this dialogue that I believe is critical to informing this unique on community how best to transfer the knowledge to the wider society.
   
  In my opinion suggestions to divide the list into "sections" further encourages compartmentalization of the all work that scientists, managers, educators, resource managers and (dare I suggest) policy analysts/advisors are doing to address the problems of coral conservation.
   
  As a Caribbean marine scientist "turned" marine policy graduate student I am attempting to gain the skill set that will allow me to assist in bridging the gap between coral reef science and policy.  I have seen some comments here, which seem to suggest that persons involved in policy have inherent "credibility" issues.  As student of policy, particular resource economics I have seen where the scientific rigor for this discipline is just as demanding as that found in the biological/chemical sciences.  I would therefore be cautious about general labels about who is credible and who isn't.  
   
  I have a tendency to ramble so to conclude, I think it is important for healthy, respectful exchange of opinions, facts and ideas. which can help with a multi-pronged approach to solving continued threats to coral reefs.
   
  Plus ... on a purely selfish note --the "hard science" coral reef information helps keep me connected to my marine biological roots!  Keep the comments coming!
   
  PETER EDWARDS
   
  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Peter E.T. Edwards

Graduate College of Marine Studies

300D Robinson Hall

Newark, DE 19716

http://www.ocean.udel.edu

   
  

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Today's Topics:

1. Regarding a Coral-List Metamorphosis (Jim Hendee)
2. Re: Regarding a Coral-List Metamorphosis (Michael Risk)
3. Seeking reef toxicology positions (D. Wade Lehmann)
4. against moving coral list (Murdoch, Thad)
5. Numerical Coral Model (Whit Anderson)


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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 07:36:23 -0500
From: "Jim Hendee" 
Subject: [Coral-List] Regarding a Coral-List Metamorphosis
To: Coral-List Subscribers 
Message-ID: <441FF347.8090101 at noaa.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hey, Team!

Thank you all for your suggestions concerning re-tooling Coral-List. 
Let me just point out some considerations we should take into account:

* Our personnel resources right now are of necessity focused on
tasks that we have been specifically funded for (Coral-List and
our other lists have not been specifically funded for years), and
we can't really afford the time (right now) to totally reconfigure
Coral-List (however, see closing statement).
* There already are several other very good coral-related
multiple-forum Web resources out there.
* This is a U.S. Government resource, so we would have to moderate
the content; as you know, there are certain things we can't allow,
which might creep into a Web-based free comment forum: 
commercialism, lobbying Congress, profanity, flaming, anti-racist
or sexist remarks, etc. This actually helps to maintain decorum
in an age where email seems to have encouraged a new kind of
discourse, namely, the occasional tendency to be nasty to someone
you wouldn't be nasty to in their presence.
* What some people consider clogging, others consider important
information: an important piece of information might be announced
that you would have been interested in, but you missed it because
it was set up in a forum area where you rarely (if ever) visit. 
For instance, what if your personal radar never would have picked
up Guana Cay before, but now since it was sort of shoved down
your throat in Coral-List, NOW you're interested and you in fact
contributed some of your hard-earned moolah to the cause, or even
felt compelled to fly over there and join in the battle!
* Breaking up this community of ~3,500 members into different groups
sort of kills the whole idea (and advantages) of a community! The
current format is sort of like one big ongoing International Coral
Reef Symposium, where anybody can have the floor to say what they
want (within civil limits, of course). You, the student, for
instance, has equal voice with some of the Big Legends of coral
science. Take for instance a real ICRS (or other) symposium
where everybody is fighting to be heard: if you're like me and
not inclined to try to out-shout the lout next to you, who always
seems to get heard because of his shouting voice, even when you
consider it crud [can you say that on Coral-List?], on Coral-List
you can still have volume equal to the ignorant loud-mouth next to
you.


However, it is good to keep the comments coming, and I'm not saying we
won't re-tool in the future. In fact, we're looking into a way for
subscribers to post photographs, after all. We want to continue to
evolve with technology, and considering the excellent group of computer
specialists we have here, I'm confident we can do right by you. 
However, we are jammed with some important tasks, and we may not always
be on the cutting edge of list or forum technology, so for now I think
we're going to stick with the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix
it." At least for now.

Remember, if you don't like the subject that is clogging your email
inbox, you can just delete it, or you can apply a filter to remove or
re-categorize it.

Now, where was I...

Cheers,
Jim



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 07:52:58 -0500
From: "Michael Risk" 
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Regarding a Coral-List Metamorphosis
To: "Jim Hendee" , Coral-List Subscribers

Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"


Thank you, Jim.

I looked in vain through the other relevant postings for that key
phrase: "And what is more, I volunteer to take over the new
administrating tasks, and vow to maintain the same high standards set
by Jim and his staff."

Although there were several suggestions, there was only ONE complaint.
I don't think it's broken-but if YOU out there think it is, then by all
means volunteer to fix it.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Mike





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