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From: wvenable@spam.ua.oz (Bill Venables)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: CALL FOR DISCUSSION: REC.PETS, REC.BIRDS division.
Message-ID: <377@spam.ua.oz>
Date: 10 Aug 90 04:36:42 GMT
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	<43759@apple.Apple.COM> <1990Aug9.141910.3845@midway.uchicago.edu>
Organization: Stats Pure & Applied Maths, Uni of Adelaide, Australia
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In-reply-to: bob@delphi.uchicago.edu's message of 9 Aug 90 14:19:10 GMT
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In article <1990Aug9.141910.3845@midway.uchicago.edu>
bob@delphi.uchicago.edu (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.) writes:
[..]
>   >         2)      What rec.birds should be renamed to since there
>   >                 will most likely be a rec.pets.birds.
>   >
>
>
>
>   Why not rec.birds.wild?  I don't think the sci.ornithology heading
>   suggested earlier would be a good one, since I don't think we want to
>   discourage amateur birders.

The `sci.ornithology' suggestion was mine. `rec.birds.wild' is just fine by
me, however I am rather surprised that you think `sci.ornithology' would
scare off amateur birders.  It wouldn't frighten me, for instance :-)

Being a mathematician I am most familiar with the `sci.math{,.*}' news
groups which you might think would scare off amateurs if any groups would.
But no, in they come, boots and all, with some of the most elementary
questions imaginable.  And why not?  Most mathematicians are only too happy
to have amateurs show an interest in their discipline, and most questions
are quickly and courteously answered.  There is also much advanced
discussion between specialists, of course, but the two co-exist quite
happily, and the elementray questions often start an interesting thread.

I am much more inclined to the opinion that if you call it `rec.<anything>'
you will scare off the professionals, who won't want to bother with it.

Let me reiterate to my original position: Why not keep the status quo for
now?
-- 
  Bill Venables, Dept. Statistics,        | Email:   wvenable@spam.ua.oz.au
  Univ. of Adelaide,  South Australia.    | Phone:           +61 8 228 5412