North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Rosholdt <rosholdt@erols.com>]

Scott Smith wrote:

"1) The board should be free.  If you look at the "competition" in this 
arena you will find GardenWeb and Daves Garden.  GardenWeb is far more 
popular because you don't have to pay to see posts or the archives.  I 
post mainly there because it was the first fruit forum I found on the 
web, and it has the most readers.  Their arrangement is paying members 
don't have to see all the annoying ads.  Personally I was drawn to NAFEX 
membership by finding this list when searching on various topics brought 
up posts in the archives.  Several other people have already stated the 
same thing.  So if the archives were closed, what seems like the major 
source for new members is closed as well. "

I took a look at GardenWeb and Daves Garden and they are completely 
annoyingly filled with advertising.  I would go there as a last resort 
always because I am slowed down by all the dancing bear hype and ads.  I 
do not consider them even in the competitive category with the NAFEX 
listserve.  I looked as Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) forum and it seemed 
nice on my wideband, but am wondering what the dial-ups think.  It looks 
a little "gigabyte-heavy".  I checked the proffered NAFEX sample 
bulletin board, and it did seem readable but a little "dim" to my weak 
eyes - am I old?  I agree that the listserve supports NAFEX's mission.

Oh and for all those people saying "Pomona is less useful now" I 
disagree.  I LIKE Pomona, and miss it when it is late.  I like it when 
someone takes the trouble to collate what is on the web for Pomona on a 
particular topic. The listserve for me is a stop-gap and there are long 
periods of time (months) when I do not use it due to other time 
demands.  I would be willing to pay just for Pomona, and if it were in 
Borders the price would be Way Over $2/month.  I would jump at the 
chance to pay $2/month for it and get all the wonderful membership benes 
of NAFEX.  (I do use the NAFEX lending library, too.)  It seems I am in 
the minority, however, about raising US dues to $25/yr. 

As a contrast SSE charges $35, with a $1000 lifetime membership and they 
provide a convention, and three publications (one of which is the 
voluminous Seed Saver Yearbook of the members who share their seeds.)  
The other two publications are not as interesting to me as Pomona, and I 
don't read them often, but do pay for that Yearbook.  Gad, Slow Foods 
starts at $60 per year and I have yet to figure out what I would get for 
that unless I put much more time and effort into the organization.  NNGA 
is at $25 for an individual basic membership.

Well that is about it for my soap box.

Barbara Rosholdt
Z7 Central Virginia