Re: what is a robin?
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: what is a robin?
- From: T* T* L* <t*@rt66.com>
- Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 13:41:27 -0700 (MST)
Libby Cross wrote
:> I guess I'm going to have to write up a condensed version of the robin
:> program and circulate it here. I had no idea so many people did not
:> understand the robin program.
as if on cue, Diana Louis replied
:
:Libby, It's the secret society nature of these robins that bothers
:me. Also the withholding of information about Siberian irises. eg
:If I don't belong to this robin I don't get some information about
:Siberians. I would like it a lot better if the information was
:available to the List and those not interested can press the delete
:key.
so now Tom chimes in to explain...
(Please bear with me. If it seems I'm not quite getting to the point, don't
worry, it'll come.)
The AIS robin program is a venerable and wonderful institution. Small
groups of people correspond by mail on an iris topic of particular interest
to them. I belonged to a number of paper mail robins when I first became
interested in irises years ago, and it was one of the most delightful and
rewarding experiences of my whole iris career. Any AIS member who doesn't
mind writing a full-length letter a few times a year should seriously
considering getting involved in a mail robin.
Now we have email, and there's a little bumpiness in figuring out what will
become of the robin program in this computer age.
This list represents one particular development: a huge discussion group
with lots of spontaneity and copious volume (we probably produce in 2-3
days the volume of text that a paper mail robin sees over an entire year).
Iris-L is great, but it would be presumptive to think it could fill
everyone's iris communication needs. For one thing, not everyone has email.
AIS members online are still a small minority of the total membership. For
another thing, the very spontaneity and volume that make Iris-L fun also
make it something less than a paper mail robin, which arrives at your door
carrying perhaps 5 to 10 well-written letters from dedicated irisarians,
each with personal replies to your own last contribution and thorough
reports on what's new in the writer's world. It's a different genre. Both
have their place.
So there are paper robins and there is Iris-L. Another development,
separate from both of these, is email robins. An email robin is modeled on
the paper mail robins, but uses email as the medium of transmission, rather
than the postal service. The Historic Iris Preservation Society has such an
email robin already in operation, apparently successfully (I'm not a
member). Libby and others are working on starting an email robin devoted to
the topic of Siberian Irises.
This is NOT a proposal to take Siberian talk off of Iris-L and make it
secret!!!
Rather, it is a separate activity that some may wish to participate in.
(The existence of the HIPS robin has not affected discussion of historic
iris on Iris-L in any way, as far as I can judge.)
I think Diana was thinking of the Siberian robin as some sort of "sidebar"
to Iris-L. That's not it at all. It is a completely separate AIS activity,
just like a paper mail robin is. Whether AIS-operated email robins will
fill an important niche that is not filled by either paper mail robins or
by Iris-L is still an open question; it's too early to say. But I
wholeheartedly endorse the AIS robin program in both its paper and
electronic manifestations.
BTW, these kinds of issues are one reason why it is very important to learn
the correct lingo. Iris-L is an internet mailing list. It is not connected
with the American Iris Society, and it is not a robin. Robins (both paper
and electronic) are a benefit of AIS membership, not connected with Iris-L.
Iris-L and AIS do have a cozy, cooperative relationship of course, and each
helps promote the other. But let's try to keep the vocabulary straight, at
least.
Best regards to all, Tom
(who just asked Libby to put him on a paper mail median robin!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Tadfor Little telp@Rt66.com
Iris-L list owner * USDA zone 5/6 * AIS region 23
Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA)
Telperion Productions http://www.rt66.com/~telp/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
