I understand, I meant it that way as well.Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S8
Active, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Teresa Hertzel
<teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx> Date: 2/25/21 9:56 AM (GMT-08:00) To: Angela
Calabrese <cbreseangela@xxxxxxxxx> Cc: Lorelle Sherman
<lorelle.sherman@xxxxxxxxx>, BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [boo]
Re: Discussion I was using "roll their eyes" to indicate that they might say
something insulting, not that they would actually physically roll their eyes
(those of them might do that too)On Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 11:53 AM Angela
Calabrese <cbreseangela@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Just putting it out there - you're not
required to read every email. If someone rolls their eyes at certain emails,
can't they just delete it and move on? Why do some feel the need to be shit on
new birders? By sharing their excitement about an American Robin or what
excites them about birding, they are causing no harm. However, by taking the
time to openly dismiss these kinds of birders, you are doing harm (specifically
to these birders, but potentially to birds who lose an ally).Just my thoughts
AngelaSent via the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable
smartphone-------- Original message --------From: Teresa Hertzel
<teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx> Date: 2/25/21 8:15 AM (GMT-08:00) To: Lorelle
Sherman <lorelle.sherman@xxxxxxxxx> Cc: BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject:
[boo] Re: Discussion Lorelle, thank you for your thoughtful response. I am most
interested in what you say about how to make OBOL more welcoming and friendly,
since that's been a problem of long-standing. Again, our biggest problem is our
diversity. The older, experienced birders would roll their eyes at something
like "what excites you most about birding?" They don't want to hear about the
first robin of spring, or the Bald Eagle you saw yesterday. Yes, they are
crusty and often insulting, but they also have much experience and expertise to
share. How do we integrate the two poles? In two other state listservs I am
familiar with, the older white guys have stopped posting entirely. THEY were
made to feel unwelcome by the younger crowd. On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 9:23 AM
Lorelle Sherman <lorelle.sherman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Good morning Teresa,I
appreciate this question. I have been an OBOL user since 2015 (so I'm
relatively new in comparison with most). I am part of the academic crowd that
does bird-related research. However, I was a birder first and always will be. I
posted sightings from 2015-2017ish, but was met with an exclusionary
unwelcoming ambience (a whole nother topic that's been discussed over and over
again) that I decided to remove myself from and transition to passive
observation of OBOL emails. The long drawn out arguments often make me want to
unsubscribe, and in fact that's what I reluctantly did recently. Not because
they aren't necessary, but because the resulting conversation is more often
than not... frustrating. This is a very challenging set of questions, because
these issues need to be talked about, but the way they are being talked about
does not feel in any way inclusive or representative, and therefore they do not
feel productive. I'd like to offer my opinion based on limited knowledge of
how OBOL was in its inception up through 2015.Do you think the OBOL guidelines
need to be changed?-Recognizing that moderation is a big job and I'm assuming
totally volunteer-based, is it possible to assign additional moderators whose
job(s) are totally devoted to responding to bullying? Maybe no one wants to do
it and that's the problem? It may help to develop a few lines of text that
demonstrate the policies and response to policies that can easily be plugged
into an e-mail for responses of first- (or second- third-) time offenders of
policies.Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a
statement about violence against women on the birding listserv? -This is
tough. I guess technically it goes against what the OBOL list serve is about.
However, normalizing support and discussion on this topic is so so necessary.
Possibly it could have just been posted to BOO and to Instagram? That being
said, I was not bothered in any way by their decision to post it to OBOL, but I
completely understand how others could be bothered by that (just as I've been
bothered by other things on OBOL).How should OBOL handle people who are
perceived as bullying others?-First offence, immediate action internally.
Message the person and express that their behavior does not align with the
policies of OBOL. Second offence, temporary block. Third offence, permanent
block. How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming?-What if there were
intentional posts that welcomed newbies to respond? Possibly as organized as a
monthly "Ask a birder" or "ID help" or "What excites you most about birding"
posts where less frequent users are encouraged to respond? This might help
people build courage to respond otherwise.-Sometimes it feels as though there's
a 'weirdness' between bird researchers and lifetime birders. I wonder how we
could foster the idea that these two styes of expertise go hand in hand and
man, oh man, just think of what we could learn and understand if we integrated
them! Again, maybe intentional topic-based posts that examine a particular
species or conservation topic intentionally welcoming and encouraging both
viewpoints.- I wonder how actual visual contact between users may influence
thoughtfulness when responding in the future. Is there any interest in monthly
or 4x per year OBOL Zoom gatherings where folks discuss a birding related
topic? Maybe this is not desired for this platform.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? -I've
never tightly linked the two entities in my brain. They feel entirely different
to me, an outsider. Not sure if that helps. Many thanks,Lorelle Sherman
