[mou] complimentary list serves

[fredericksonr@willmar.k12.mn.us]

As Diane Anderson pointed out so well in her earlier e-mail, the two
Minnesota list serves were set up with two separate agendas.

Carol and Paul Schumacher set up and continue to coordinate Mnbird, the
original birding list serve in MN, which invites all bird sightings,
questions, etc.  The idea was/is wonderful and they continue to do a great
job.

MOU-net was set up to communicate MOU business to its members and
(primarily?) promote bird discussions, UNUSUAL observations, etc.  However,
MOU-net was NOT set up to report "today's bird sightings" or "I saw my
first robin today" etc.  It's intent was, in part, to offer members a
service that COMPLIMENTED Mnbird by NOT replicating it.  It offers weekly
RBAs (Rare Bird Alerts) and asks its subscribers to please follow the
posting suggestions, which ARE more restrictive in nature. (They are meant
to be so).

I, for one, subscribe to both list serves because they (are supposed to)
offer different information.  People who consistently post all their
sightings to both list serves are (probably) not using at least one
correctly.

If both list-serves are used as they were intended, Minnesota birders are
offered a greater choice, for which I am grateful.

Thank you to ALL THE LIST SERVE providers and technicians.  They do a
wonderful job of keeping us informed and all their work is volunteer!

Randy Frederickson
Willmar