REPLY-TO
     I very much prefer the "reply-to" setting being to the 
individual poster, not the list.  If a person wants to reply to the 
list, they just hit the "reply all" button. I belong to 3 other 
listserves and all of them have "reply-to" set to the individual; it 
was difficult to remember before that MDOSPREY was the sole exception.

CUTTING OFF THREADS
     I generally think Norm gets it about right knowing when to cut 
off a thread, particularly political ones since those get rancorous 
in a hurry.
     I do think the humor posts are fun, though, and I don't mind 
having them in my inbox.  If I get tired of any thread - humor or 
not - before it's over, I just delete the messages.

ATTACHMENTS
     I definitely support the "no attachments" rule, partly because 
of viruses and mostly because I'm a dial-up user and don't want to 
have to wait for a couple of dozen attachments to download every 
time I check my email.  (Especially since you wouldn't believe how 
many people will take a photo right off their mucho-megapixel camera 
and post it as is, without thinking about download time.  I can 
definitely do without attachments that are 5 MB each!)  I am a 
digital photographer, too, so I understand the desire to share 
photos.  The best way, IMHO, to handle that is either to put your 
photos on a website and post the URL, or post a message saying that 
you have photos and offer to email them to any individual who asks.

HTML
     Nobody has brought this up, but I wish MDOSPREY would accept 
HTML postings.  It's the only list I belong to that doesn't, and I 
sometimes forget to convert my messages to plain text before 
posting.  Then I get a bounce message and have to post all over 
again.  Also, HTML allows ways to emphasize a sighting or a phrase 
without using all capitals, which in email parlance is interpreted 
as shouting.

OTHER SPECIES
     Again nobody has brought this up, and I'm taking a risk here, 
but I like it when people sometimes mention the mammals, 
butterflies, dragonflies, or other critters that they've seen in 
addition to the birds.  Yes, I know this could get out of hand if 
people let it, and on a birding listserve birds have precedence. 
However, it is nice to know that I won't be regarded as some kind of 
traitor if I mention a dragonfly now and then.


June Tveekrem
Columbia, Howard Co, MD
tweekiebird AT toadmail DOT com