Blue Chondros
Calico Chondros
High Yellow Chondros
Melanistic Chondros
Pastel Chondros
Albino Project
Aru Island Type
Biak Island Type
Sorong Type
Jayapura Type
| An Era has Passed! | |
|
Have you ever said that? Most
people have! Some of our personal "eras" may be large or small; graduating from
college, for example, is a common example of an era passing. I once heard a
friend make this declaration as he discarded his tattered, favorite old
T-shirt! I have made the statement above a few times in my life, such as when I sold my cage-making business CageMaster. This decision caused my life to take a major and important change. We can all look back and note such watershed decisions in our lives. Some may prove to be bad, hopefully most are good; all of them shape who we are and where we are headed in the future. Many times these changes are bittersweet, as we leave behind something that we have worked hard to build and that has helped to define who we are, but that has taken over our lives and is threatening to burn us out. Often we enter a new era as we leave the old one, and we look forward to what lays ahead. It is with such mixed feelings that I recently made the difficult decision to step down as one of the Administrators of The ChondroWeb Forums. Together with Tomm Phillips, I founded the Forums in 2000, and the activities of building, growing, improving, and participating on the Forums has consumed thousands of hours over the last five years. There have been problems to resolve along the way, and some days it just seemed to not be worth it. But overall, the Forums have accomplished a great deal of good within the on-line reptile community, and many new-comers to the hobby may not realize what it was like in the days when solid information was difficult or impossible to obtain. Tomm and I started the Forums with two main goals: To establish an Internet forum dedicated to the husbandry and breeding of chondros within a moderated environment free from the horrible strife that existed on the Kingsnake.com forums at that time; and to provide a Forum where the information and advice from experienced keepers and breeders would not be constantly second-guessed and debated by by the less experienced. This is not to say (as we have been accused) that differing opinions aren’t valid at times, and we have always attempted to host lively debates on many issues. But we also felt that egg incubation questions (as one example) should be answered by those who have actually hatched chondros eggs consistently! We clearly have accomplished our twin goals, and along the way the landscape of the chondro-keeping and breeding community was changed for the better. At times it has been suggested that the ChondroWeb Forums are too elitist and serve as a platform for a group of closed-minded thinkers to espouse their views. We have even been called names such as "Nazis." Some feel that "all observations are valid, irrespective of the level of experience." I received a letter once from a Forum user who asked me why I was so closed-minded. "All opinions are valid", this person told me. Of course, the truth behind such statements is that all people are equally important and no one should be (intentionally) made to feel as though their perspective isn’t of value. But it is silly and illogical to state that all observations are of equal value and all opinions are valid. Do you suppose that a professional sports team hires coaches or trainers from an elementary school? Of course not, because the level of experience is too different. And what would you think of someone who offered the opinion that the Holocaust never really happened? The truth is, some opinions are wrong, and the value of an observation is usually directly related to the experience of the observer. However, everyone is a valued member of the community and should be treated with decency. At the ChondroForums, we have always tried to balance reliable information with fun, and respect for all who participate in an appropriate manner. Much has changed in the years since the ChondroWeb Forums were started, both for me personally and with the on-line community. A vast amount of information has been published on our Forums, as well as on other forums. My information-based web site, Fine Green Tree Pythons, and a number of other sites such as ChondroWeb.com have helped to educate, inspire, and debunk myths. With the success of polite and professional forums, the traffic and influence of strife-filled sites has diminished. With the release of my first book, The Complete Chondro (ECO, 2003), another big step was taken towards fulfilling the global need for detailed chondro husbandry and breeding information. The necessity of having one strong information portal on the web has become obsolete in many ways. At the same time, my ever-increasing collection, my writing schedule (including a new, expanded version of my book), web site development, establishing an increasing number of chondro babies each year, hosting ChondroFest in 2005, and speaking engagements, have all combined to make participation and oversight of the ChondroWeb Forums difficult for me. When Tomm informed me that a new job opportunity would result in his moving out of state and a resignation from Forum duties, I realized that our time as Forum leaders had run its course. I am very proud of what we have accomplished. I will still drop in on the Forums as time permits, and it is with relief that I can now enjoy my time on the Forums as a regular member. Tomm and I are pleased to see the Forums continue in great hands, and I am anticipating seeing what changes the new team will bring to the table. I am also looking forward to seeing new keepers and breeders step up to help lead. The ChondroWeb Forums will remain a place where keepers and breeders can get quick answers that they can “take to the bank”, while at the same time recognizing that these days, Internet forums are as much about socializing and fun as they are about learning. I want to give a big “thanks” to all who have helped to make the ChondroWeb Forums a wonderful place to hang out and share. Here’s to another five years of Chondro Fever at its best! |
|
|
|
|