Creation of newsgroup uk.rec.lepidoptera

Graham Durbin g at durb.freeserve.co.uk
Tue Dec 1 15:16:06 EST 1998


>From Graham Durbin, proposer, newsgroup uk.rec.lepidoptera, in response to
Neil Jones' postings of Nov 24 & 25 (these are quite long, so I haven't
included them in this posting)

1.  Yes, I am indeed inexperienced, having only connected to the net about
6 weeks ago.  This surely doesn't preclude me from doing no more than
making a suggestion to those
with more experience; or does it?

2.  Being a newcomer, I confess that I do not fully understand the
significance of the fact 
that sci.bio.ent.lep. is connected to the LEPS-l mailing list, so I cannot
argue with his 
point that this makes it more accessible.  However, is his statement "many
UK 
lepidopterists cannot...use usenet" likely to hold good in the future?

3.  My lack of usenet postings is partly explained by the fact that I am a
newcomer.
However, the main reason why I have not made any postings to sci.b.e.l. is
the thought 
that, whilst UK subscribers might be interested in the fact that, for
instance, small 
coppers (L. phlaeas) were still on the wing in Derbyshire in Mid-November,
the 
significance of this would be completely lost on the rest of the world;
surely I'm not alone
in thinking this way? Hence the thought that there might be a demand for a
UK-oriented newsgroup, where such reservations would not apply.

4.  I have no desire whatsoever to undermine the importance of sci.b.e.l -
indeed, it 
would be against the interests of any lepidopterist to do so.  My only
thought was that 
the existence of a UK newsgroup might encourage MORE interest, by providing
UK enthusiasts with a forum for postings which they felt were not of
sufficient interest world-wide.  Items of wider interest would, of course,
still be cross-posted to sci.b.e.l.     


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