[obol] WSMR WISI IHTT

[Bill Clemons]

There is no enormous problem.

But:

1)  Lets face it these codes are more than a tad
esoteric.

2)  There are more than 450 bird species to be seen in
Oregon alone, and more than twice that number in North
America.  By definition, only a very small percent of
birders will know them when they read them; "Less than
1 percent."

3)  Since "99 percent" of us readers therefore do not
readily translate them in our minds, why not avoid
them other than as a second use in some paragraph, and
only after identifying them as we would in any written
document.  Such as:
"There were two EARED GREBES (EAGR) at Fernhill
Wetlands yesterday afternoon in the center pond.  One
EAGR had just surfaced with a large fish, and was
being harassed by a Ring-billed Gull (RBGU).  The RBGU
lost out as the EAGR was very eager to keep its prize
and dove to escape the RBGU."

4)  Yes, I too would rather read a Subject heading
titled:
"[obol] Fern Ridge FRANKLIN'S, SABINE'S GULL, EAGR,
etc" 
            than one merely titled: 
"[obol] Fern Ridge birds"  
             But I would rather read:
"[obol] Fern Ridge FRANKLIN'S, SABINE'S GULL, EARED
GREBE, etc" 

5)  Use of codes that are esoteric and/or unidentified
is a bit like talking with someone who's using
initials or acronyms without their identifying what
they mean.  The listener is left without needed input,
or has to ask the speaker "What does that mean?"

After leaving WDC, I returned to CSULA, then went to
PW, got a CPA, then went to OM&M and got an MBA, and
then went to SSC, SSS, and MDL, then ASOP before
ending up with OEC. 

Bill Clemons
*******************************
I disagree. 
 
In the past two months on OBOL there have been about 5
messages
using banding codes in the subject line out of over
800 messages total.

Less than 1 percent.  None of them included only a
banding code in the title.   The titles were usually
long and included multiple birds.

Would it be better to just leave out species names
from the subject line all together?

I'd much rather open a message titled " [obol] Fern
Ridge FRANKLIN'S, SABINE'S GULL, EAGR, etc" than one
titled "[obol] Fern Ridge birds"

I simply do not see a problem.

Daniel Farrar


       
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