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Introduction
Welcome to the mou-net and mou-rba mailing lists operated by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU). mou-net and mou-rba are electronic mailing lists available to all persons interested in the birds of Minnesota.
mou-net is a place where birders can share their sightings -- notable or otherwise -- with other interested people. We particularly invite posts of observations that contribute to the understanding of the birds in the state. This includes sightings of birds that are unusual, in an unusual location or out of season, or present in significantly higher numbers than normally expected.
mou-rba is a place where birders can share their notable sightings with other interested people. This includes sightings of birds that are unusual, in an unusual location or out of season, or present in significantly higher numbers than normally expected.
All mail posted to mou-rba is forwarded to mou-net, and all "notable sightings" are forwarded from mou-net to mou-rba. You only need to subscribe to one of the mailing lists. Subscribe to mou-rba if you only want "notable sightings" and subscribe to mou-net if you want all postings.
The MOU will send out transcripts of its telelphone hotlines to people subscribed to either mailing list.
mou-net is also a place where you can ask questions or make observations regarding the identification, behavior, and natural history of birds in Minnesota. Finally, it is available for conducting or reporting on the business of the MOU and its affiliated clubs. These postings might include announcements of planned activities (such as a field trip) or simply be notices of upcoming meetings.
The MOU keeps a current log of messages posted to mou-net on our mou-net Transcripts Page and a log of messages posted to mou-rba on our mou-rba Transcripts Page.
An archive of messages posted on our previous server for mou-net is available on mou-net. An archive of messages posted on our previous server for mou-rba is available on mou-rba.
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
Using e-mail
To subscribe to this list using e-mail, send the following e-mail message:
To: listserv@lists.umn.edu
Subject:
Text: SUBSCRIBE mou-net Firstname Lastname
To unsubscribe from this list using e-mail, send the following e-mail message:
To: listserv@lists.umn.edu
Subject:
Text: UNSUBSCRIBE mou-netTo subscribe or unsubscribe from mou-rba substitute mou-rba for mou-net in the above instructions.
Posting to the Net
Only members of the net are allowed to post to these nets. If you expect to post to mou-rba, and are signed up to receive from mou-net, you must sign up for mou-rba and then set the nomail option. You can change your options for mou-net and mou-rba.
Courtesy
Please limit your posts to the areas described above. If these lists lose focus, then they also lose there value. There are other mailing lists available for people interested in other issues. Of course, different people have different views as to what constitutes a "notable" sighting. Ultimately, you are the only person who can judge what is important to you, and your decision to post a sighting or question here will be respected.
This is an open mailing list. Unless noted otherwise, messages are posted here by individuals, not by the MOU as an organization. No effort is made to review messages prior to their dissemination to subscribers. There is no guarantee of the accuracy of any message.
Messages must be courteous and respectful of others. People who flagrantly or repeatedly abuse this expectation could see their posting privileges revoked, either temporarily or permanently. Presumably this action will never be required.
Privacy
In order to protect the privacy and property rights of people who host rare or unusual birds, mou-net and mou-rba have adopted the following policy regarding the posting of addresses.
No private addresses are to be broadcast on mou-net or mou-rba without prior permission from the homeowner/landowner. If you include such an address, include the name of the person who received permission for such an announcement. If you "know" permission has been granted, but do not know who received this permission, do not post the address. If permission has been granted with conditions (e.g., only from 9AM - 4PM, only at most 5 people in the yard at one time, check in with homeowner before entering yard, etc.) include such conditions in your message. If you are the one to procure permission through direct conversation with the homeowner, be explicit with them as to what they can expect and ask them what conditions they would like to impose on birders. You might even volunteer some conditions, such as "not before 9 AM". It may not occur to them that someone might be in their yard at 5AM looking for a bird.
Do not assume that permission for birders to visit is the same as permission to post it to mou-net or mou-rba.
mou-net Contacts
David Cahlander for operational or technical issues.
If you ever need to get in contact with the owner of the list, (if you have trouble unsubscribing, or have questions about the list itself) send email to <owner-mou-net@lists.umn.edu>. This is the general rule for most mailing lists when you need to contact a human.
MOU
Listservice