I intend to be a lurker, but I value the kind of information that
exchanges between "experts and scholars" in the field. The glamour
organisms get all the attention, while the creepy crawlies, bugs and
other invertebrate species are vastly more important when you come right
down to it. As a thought, it seems that there is global concern for
amphibian population decline (as indicator species). Annelids ought to
also serve as indicators.
MS
============================================================================
D. Michael Satterwhite, PhD. Phone: 208-799-2890 at LCSC
Division of Natural Science and Mathematics Home: 208-746-3628/7288
Lewis-Clark State College Fax: 208-799-2064
500 8th Street
Lewiston, Idaho 83501 e-mail: msatterw at lcsc.edu
On Sun, 19 Nov 1995, JAMES BLAKE wrote:
> Dear Annelid enthusiasts,
>> I have been wondering who would be the first to follow Geoff Read's
> introductory remarks, and because no one has, I decided to do it.
>> I would like to solicit comments from the membership as to how they
> anticipate using this medium of communication. Geoff has gone to a
> great deal of effort in getting this e-mail discussion group started.
> At present it functions more like a ListServe than a NewsGroup, but
> that will presumeably change after 6 months if there is sufficient
> interest.
>> I am presently subscribed to a variety of ListServes and Newsgroup
> discussions, some of which are merely sources of information and
> gossip, others are very active. Tbey range in topics from
> Biodiversity, Marine Biology, Taxonomy, Deep-Sea Biology, Ecology,
> Evolution, and Systematics (and Bowling; I am active in the sport).
> One very active List at the present is one that deals with assessing
> the proposed changes to appear in the next revision of the
> International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. At any rate, between
> all these various sources of communication and information, not to
> mention a deluge of back and forth private e-mail traffic and the
> occasional appearance of CHAETOZONE, I raise the question to the
> membership of what we do here that is not already out there to some
> extent. Is there enough information on polychaetes and related annelid
> groups to warrant still another internet site?
>> This is a crucial question, because unless there is some real interest
> among the membership, the activity will be very minimal. I am seeing
> this happen to some of the ListServs on Biodiversity and Deep-Sea,
> where communication has essentially ceased; and for some of those, the
> membership is far larger than this one.
>> I have learned that subscribers of such list tend to fall into two
> categories: lurkers and chatters. Lurkers tend to read all the news
> and gossip, but not say much; chatters have something to say about
> everything. Here, I hope the lurkers will come forth more openly.
>> So, I ask the membership to come forth with some ideas as to how they
> want to use this opportunity.
>> I would envision that there might be announcements of meetings,
> appearance of books, requests for specimens to address research
> problems, requests for information about species or topics, and
> discussions about various topics such as sibling species, cosmopolitan
> species, long-standing taxonomic problems such as the number of genera
> of hesionids and ampharetids, how many polychaete families do we really
> have?, or whatever. The use of this List for Discussion topics is
> probably where the list could fill a niche not already covered.
>> I look forward to some response.
>> Jim Blake
> ENSR Consulting and Engineering
> 89 Water Street
> Woods Hole, MA 02543
> (508) 457-7900
> FAX: 457-7595
> (jablake at ix.netcom.com)
>>>
