Margaret, you are too funny. Thank you for a good laugh! It has been
suggested a few times now that we post the guidelines once a month, and my
first instinct is that once it gets into a rhythm of appearing on the 1st
of each month, people would no longer "see it."
But I have an idea, based on having been in a Catholic school for 1st
grade. The day would open with the teacher picking a random child and
saying, "Joe, the 3rd commandment!" Then poor Joe would have to stand by
his desk and recite the 3rd commandment. The following day, she would pick
another child and another commandment. In this way, you can bet we all
learned our commandments quickly and thoroughly. How about if I pick ONE
guideline to highlight each month and post it?
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 10:13 AM Margaret Stephens <mlstep@xxxxxxx> wrote:
First, the OBOL list is somewhat better than it used to be, when neophyte
birders could get their heads bitten off for posting innocent questions or
comments that were then sneered at by the "elite". I certainly have been,
hesitant to post because of this. Thank you to vigilant moderators!!
On a related note, about birding or being alone in nature (or anywhere) as
a female: I don't think that men, especially white men, can fully
understand the fear that marginalized community members, including BIPOC,
LGBTQIA people, and women, generally experience being alone, and then
seeing a male stranger nearby. Will they attack because they see someone
vulnerable who can be taken advantage of violently, will they attack
because they see someone that doesn't fit their idea of what that person
should look like, will they attack because they think their color doesn't
belong? This is REAL. As a female, when I see a lone man, or a group of
men or males, and I am alone, the adrenaline shoots up and I am on guard
and will generally go out of my way to avoid interaction; I am sure this is
true for others that are targeted; unfortunately, this limits the enjoyment
and experience of solitude in natural areas. White men probably do not
have to think of this. Not picking on white men, but privilege comes with
being born that way, generally. And look at the perpetrators of most
violence....for example, the Capitol mob on January 6. Therefore, there is
a duty for the privileged to work on any lack of awareness on their part;
which involves, first: LISTENING and self-education and knowing when to at
least* shut up.*
Do you think the OBOL guidelines need to be changed? It should be
changed so that moderators can post guidelines and reminders of the ethics
of this list and birding in general. See below.
Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a statement
about violence against women on the birding listserv? - No. Moderators
need to moderate.
How should OBOL handle people who are perceived as bullying others? Warn
them once, and if it occurs again, ban them permanently. Maybe they can go
on Parler instead.
How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming? - Moderators could post a
statement on the listserv at the beginning of each month that has reminders
for respectful discussion, states the consequences if posts violate the
guidelines, states the basic ethics of birding, and includes the assertion
that birding should be actively inclusive and safe for all (?) and that
birders have a responsibility to help make nature study inclusive. State
that this post is a moderator post that is not open for discussion, and
delete any posts in reply.
OBA has a few hundred members, I think it's right around 300, but I don't
have the exact number. OBOL has almost 2,000, so the vast majority are not
OBA members. Do you think OBOL should be broken off from OBA and no longer
be under their umbrella? Don't know about this.
------------------------------
*From:* boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of
Teresa Hertzel <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Thursday, February 25, 2021 4:01 AM
*To:* BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* [boo] Discussion
BOOers,
Here are some questions for you, although you certainly don't have to
stick to these topics.
Do you think the OBOL guidelines need to be changed?
Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a statement
about violence against women on the birding listserv?
How should OBOL handle people who are perceived as bullying others?
How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming?
OBA has a few hundred members, I think it's right around 300, but I don't
have the exact number. OBOL has almost 2,000, so the vast majority are not
OBA members. Do you think OBOL should be broken off from OBA and no longer
be under their umbrella?
Treesa
