David,
You say, "*This is the BOO list, but lately it is the "how to make OBOL
more welcoming list.*" How to make OBOL more welcoming is a topic we are
currently discussing on BOO.
You say "*With over 1000 subscribers..*. " OBOL currently has 1800
subscribers.
in response to your other questions, I'm sending along my write-up of the
results of last year's survey. I prepared this summary for the OBA Board
last May and asked them to share it with the OBOL members in whatever way
they felt was appropriate.
OBOL Survey Results
Members find OBOL to be a valuable source of information about birds from
around the state; they enjoy the sense of community, being a part of the
Oregon birding world, find the discussions informative and interesting, and
like learning from others.
The biggest irritation —by far— is when posting becomes “snarky,”
condescending, or insulting. It was noted by many that some experienced
birders can be insulting to less experienced birders, and this was not
appreciated. Responders noted that when a good discussion (for example,
about eBird) descends into rudeness and insults, its value is lost and they
want it to end immediately.
It is also a source of irritation that some people who clearly know one
another personally use OBOL to cast unpleasant comments back and forth.
What we can do about this:
• The moderator currently sends a personal response (off-list) to the
offender immediately. If the person ignores the warning and does it again,
he or she is put on Moderated Post (their future posts will be sent to her
first for checking before being sent on to OBOL).
• Encourage newbies and intermediate birders to post and support them in
doing so.
• Contact the moderator.
• Be welcoming and respectful to all.
Many people mentioned misogyny as being a problem. There was a general
feeling that women birders are not as respected as men birders on OBOL.
Many women stated that they don’t post at all, or only rarely because they
feel intimidated and are concerned about being publicly humiliated.
What we can do about this:
• Support one another. SPEAK UP if someone is rude or misogynistic to a
fellow member.
• Women should post more often.
• Contact the moderator.
• Be welcoming and respectful to all.
Members do not appreciate other members using OBOL as a commercial forum to
sell their goods, or people who post links to their blogs where they are
given commercial credit for each click.
What we can do about this:
Responders were almost completely in agreement that the parameters of OBOL
are “just right” in its freedom of discussion and banned subjects (cats,
politics, etc.) They mentioned belonging to other listservs where the
restrictions are too narrow, or so loose they are out of control, and said
that OBOL is right on.
Five people are irritated by the daily eBird alert, but 23 noted it as
their favorite thing about OBOL.
Many responders are frustrated when a post about a sighting does not list
the location; or if there have been several responses already, the latter
ones stop listing the location (for example, “The Wood Thrush was seen
today.”)
What we can do about this:
• If you are posting about a bird at a particular location, use the subject
line to ID the bird and its location This way, no matter how many times
people respond, the subject line will always have this information.
On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 2:21 AM David Bailey <davidcbaileyoregon@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
This is the BOO list, but lately it is the "how to make OBOL more
welcoming list." That's fine with me! Just a little while ago Teresa had
asked if BOO should remain extant. I was one of the few that said we should
keep it alive. I am glad the forum has been maintained.
That many have said that they find Oregon Birders On-line (OBOL)
intimidating I find confusing. I want to understand that, but I don't
fully. Certainly I come from an accident of birth and evolution that puts
me in a position of privilege, but I was substantially bullied in my youth,
both physically and verbally. I was mentored in my early teen birding years
by what many are now referring to as "the old guard." Perhaps I am seen as
such too? Clearly there are a lot of big egos posting on Obol, but many
still post their field notes without much fanfare. Obol has never been only
about rare bird alerts.
With over 1000 subscribers to Obol, perhaps it would help those who might
feel intimidated that a few louder voices on Obol do not necessarily
represent the membership.
I think a list if what is intimidating about OBOL would be helpful to
those of us in the dark. Of course I (and I would hope most people) can
identify blantent racist, sexist, and bigoted comments, but otherwise what
do you find intimidating.
Maybe you could post a note to Teresa directly and she could summarize
anonymously if you don't feel comfortable posting directly to this BOO
group. Of course it is not necessary the job of the intimidated to educate
those who would intimidate, but how are we all to understand otherwise?
I think a genuine understanding of the entire picture from multiple and
diverse perspectives will be important to fostering a more welcome online
environment in which we might all share our enjoyment in birding.
Sincerely,
David C. Bailey
Seaside, Oregon
