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nafex - [NAFEX] Membership, focus, journals, etc...the face of NAFEX

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  • From: Rosholdt <rosholdt@erols.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Membership, focus, journals, etc...the face of NAFEX
  • Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:13:50 -0500

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




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