Subject: Re: Bionet.mycology: mushroom-hunting, recepies etc?

From: [email-masked] (Brett Tyler)
Date: 19 Aug 1994 09:25:35 -0700

At 12:40 PM 8/19/94 +0000, Timo Harmo wrote:
>I have just found this newsgroup. This looks very interesting, but
>before advertize this for our mushroom-enthusiasts I would
>like to ask about the purpose of this group. Is this meant for mycological
>discussions, or is there room for lay mushroom hunters (who respect mycology
>as a science also, naturally) to discuss things related to mushroom-hunting,
>exchange recepies and tricks for conserving mushrooms etc.?
>Or would the mycologists rather see us forming a separate group, rec.mushrooms 
>or something like that? 
>We have a rather active group of around 100 mushroom-hunters in a local group,
>and I believe quite many would be interested also in international contacts
>(comparisons of variaties of mushrooms and of amount of harvest etc.)
> -Timo Harmo

The Mycology Newsgroup was originally set up by mycologists and fungal
geneticists to facilitate exchange of scientific information about the
fungi.  Of course, lay mushroom hunters and other enthusiasts are welcome
to "listen in" and contribute scientific comments and questions.  However,
if you would like have a discussion group centered around mushroom
collecting, recipes etc, I think it would best be set up as a separate
newsgroup.

What do others who use the Mycology newsgroup think?

****************
Brett Tyler
Professor
[email-masked]
****************

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From: [email-masked] (Edward Gosfield)
Date: 19 Aug 1994 21:22:39 GMT

: The Mycology Newsgroup was originally set up by mycologists and fungal
: geneticists to facilitate exchange of scientific information about the
: fungi.  Of course, lay mushroom hunters and other enthusiasts are welcome
: to "listen in" and contribute scientific comments and questions.  However,
: if you would like have a discussion group centered around mushroom
: collecting, recipes etc, I think it would best be set up as a separate
: newsgroup.

: What do others who use the Mycology newsgroup think?

I would like to see both groups in existence.  Having no scientific
expertise in mycology, but a reasonable 'educated layperson" background in
genetics, molecular bio etc, I would enjoy the opportunity to observe
mycologists doing their thing without undue interference from those of us
whose questions might be too elementary and distracting.  A number of other
'sci.*" newsgroups have sadly devolved due to the overwhelming presence of
legitimate (?) but inappropriate 'lay' posts.  

On the other hand, as a mushroom hunter, eater, photographer, and lover of
approx the last 20 years, i would also like the opportunity to confer,
converse, and otherwise hobnob with my fellow hobbyists, in an oppropriate
group. If we have some technical mycological questions it has been my
experiencce that many of the academic mycologists are also hobbyists (OK
Miller, Trappe, Bigelow (RIP),et al) and some academics will probably drop
in from time to time if the rec.mushrooms group isn't too devoted to
psychedelics(nothing personal intended) or irresponsible advice.

How could this be accomplished?

eg

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From: [email-masked] (fgrun)
Date: 20 Aug 1994 04:57:45 GMT

As an enthusiatic amateur mushroom hobbyist who is just starting to
get into fungi-orientated research, this newsgroup is currently an
ideal mix in my opinion. I do hope it continues to satisfy its original
intent - i.e. allow for serious scientific exchange of
information/questions. I think it can also accomadate secondary goals
that may be less *hard core*. I think one of the problems that occurs
with continually splitting newsgroups is that in addition you'll end up
splitting people/contributions aswell until each newsgroup becomes so
specialised that it won't satisfy anyone. bionet.mycology is
specialised enough to attract only a small/medium following and yet
accomodate a wide range of sublect matter. For me it only makes sense
to split a newsgroup if it becomes unmanageable due to size. At present
other diversions add more in terms of interest than subtract from the
serious focus which prompted the newsgroup's creation in the first
place. If more people visit it for whatever reason (that's
mycologicallly related) than would if only they were checking to see if
someone required a specific cDNA construct for Pleurotus, then the more
effective the newsgroup becomes.
      If other people feel they don't want to scan 50-100
messages/week, then I'll be the first to help set up a new newsgroup
that includes how to cook puffball steaks ! :)

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From: [email-masked] (Marshall Landman)
Date: 21 Aug 1994 22:37:21 -0700

> What do others who use the Mycology newsgroup think?

I have found some of the discussions on the newsgroup too scientific for 
my interests.  I too am more interested in the growing/mushroom hunting 
aspects of mycology.  I would be very interested to see a newsgroup 
dediated to hunting/growing of mushrooms.

Anyone out ther know hot to go about starting a new newsgroup?  Is anyone 
interested in taking the lead?

I'll keep tuned in.  Thanks, Marshall Landman

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From: [email-masked] (holland)
Date: 22 Aug 1994 14:40:55 GMT

With respect to the question of inclusion/exclusion of mycophagist-
gatherer-amateur questions, please do include and intermingle them for
a while, and if it turns out that they constitute a nuisance, then
they can be split off. However it is quite possible that some of the
academic-scientist folks would be happy to comment on issues raised
by the other group (or vice-versa?):-)

Bert Holland
New York City

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From: [email-masked] (Michael Freitag)
Date: 22 Aug 1994 13:49:47 -0700

> What do others who use the Mycology newsgroup think?
I agree with Brett.  Also, it seemed to me (judging from some of the 
previous messages to this group) that there already exists a 'mushroom 
hunting' newsgroup somewhere on the net.  Although I am myself a mushroom 
hunter and gatherer and decidedly boletivore, I'd appreciate more science 
and less foray in this group.

Michael Freitag
OGI
Portland, Ore.