From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder@gmail.com>
Date: 2019-01-07 07:47
Subject: Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] Grey-throated Barbet
Hi Fleur and everyone,

I initially joined KenyaBirdsNet with a Yahoo Mail address, but since it is not my primary address, Itai was kind enough to let me join from my Gmail account.  So at one point it could be done using the steps Itai described (not 100% certain this is still the case after Verizon bought Yahoo).    But I think it might be the case that to browse the online message archive, you might need a Yahoo account to log in.

I noted Fleur's point that younger birders might be more into Facebook and social media than traditional email lists like KenyaBirdsNet.    This is a worldwide issue.  I am like many people who refuse to log onto Facebook for a variety of reasons (security, privacy, moral objections, etc).

-- I figured I would share the following in the name of maximum information sharing.   Many Birding Lists (Listservs) in various places are moving from Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, and university-hosted Listservs to a free online service called Groups.io.    https://groups.io/  
Groups.io was founded by the person who created the eGroups service several years ago, which was purchased by Yahoo to form Yahoo Groups. 

With Groups.io , you can receive emails in realtime like we currently do, and also search and click through past message archives in a web page format (similar to Google Groups and Yahoo Groups).    Very useful for research and trip planning.    Groups.io can also automatically download all messages from a forum that is migrating to groups.io, thus preserving existing archives.  

* But perhaps a feature that would interest younger users is that groups.io can be integrated with Facebook to email/post to the group when a Facebook page is updated.   This can be set to be moderated so the listowner must approve messages forwarded from Facebook, to prevent blasting too much noise to the group.   So as an example, updates to the Facebook pages of birding clubs, regional birding groups, nonprofits, etc. could be forwarded to a groups.io forum.

At any rate, I figured I would share this info in case more features are desired or if Yahoo Groups becomes unsatisfactory as a result of the sale to Verizon

Good birding,

Nate

On Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 6:44 AM Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Thanks Itai


But do we need to have a Yahoo address before we can join?

If anyone has joined Kenyabirdsnet recently, please let me know the exact process you went through.

With thanks and best wishes to all, Fleur
 
On Jan 6, 2019, at 5:44 PM, Itai Shanni itaisha1@yahoo.com [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Hi Fleur and all.


When launching Kenyabirdsnet, back in April 2002, we all lived in a different technological era...
The idea behind was to make unusual observations available to birders around the country and try and get Internatinal birders who are visiting the country to submit their records.
As stated in the group description “This mailing list's aim is to improve the communication among Kenyan birders and other who are interested in Kenya birds.”
Over the years it was never a very active group and thanks to few it was active nevertheless and interesting reports have gone through.

Today we have 374 members and I hope more will join anytime soon.

The process of subscription is not something I can adjust too much and it involves sending a request to kenyabirdsnet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Which in turn will send me an automated msg asking for approval and the new subscriber another automated msg’ asking for details about him/her self.

The reason for that is mostly to limit the use of data collected here for bird trade, poachers and alike (I know that this is limited and can easily be provoked).

After subscribing, use this mail to send out your observations:

As per the discussion regarding taxonomy and species description I’m fully enjoying it and am usually with agreement with Don’s remarks about the protocol which is needed.

One last reminder:
This year Chempions of the Flyway event is raising money for the conservation of Africa’s Vultures together with Nature Kenya.

Please log on to the following address to learn more about it:

Itai Shanni
Avian ecologist and guide, specialized in East Africa & Middle East regions.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone


On Sunday, January 6, 2019, 4:11 PM, Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Hi Adam, Itai and all


Kenya is full of enthusiastic young birders and bird photographers, all over the country. The reason you don’t see them on Kenyabirdsnet is that they find it difficult to join Kenyabirdsnet. They prefer sending their photos and observations in real time to Facebook and other online media. Just look at the Wings Over Kenya page on Facebook!

Some suggestions: Itai, please write on Wings Over Kenya the step-by-step procedure to join Kenyabirdsnet. I can then submit the same to the Nature Kenya newsletter and the Nature Kenya page on Facebook.

Wishing you good birding and thoughtful conversations, Fleur