Ahemmmm!

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

My blood pressure is beginning to go up again.....

After a wonderfully productive day yesterday, it seems that some folks seem
intent on chasing their tails in a circle.

I am hopefully only going to have to say this once - I will not tolerate
anyone who posts merely to stand on a soapbox and throw a tantrum.

Now that I have gotten that off of my chest... let's continue...
_____________________

>From the comments most of you have made in the last day and a half, it
appears clear that the "common goals" Erik suggested we formulate are
crystalizing nicely and we have in fact a lot of the same ideas/hopes/dreams
concerning this event.

I am no longer willing to apologize to _anybody_ for attempting to be open
to suggestion and adjustment of my basic ideal. If YOU think it's confusing,
to quote a phrase.... "tough".

The _vast_ majority of the people here have displayed a remarkable openness
to alternative points of view and a willingness to accept and encompas those
different viewpoints. I want to encourage and continue along this vein.
______________________

Olga and I recently exchanged a series of private emails concerning the
issues we are currently discussing. In one, I pointed out that, to me at
least, it seemed that there really wasn't much distance between our two
points of view. I explained to her what I thought she was saying and asked
her to put it to the group, if my take on her point of view was correct.
Olga hasn't done so - perhaps she is away from her computer or not currently
on-line.

But Olga made one comment in her last posting on Robert Hudson's input which
I want to settle, ONCE and FOR ALL TIME -

Olga said: "It's a planted aquascape contest, plain and simple. :) "

No Olga, it's not JUST a contest for planted aquascapes. It NEVER was.

It is an Aquascaping Showcase & Contest with a FOCUS on the planted
aquascape but open to other freshwater aquascapes as well.

Accept that fact, please. It is a common feeling here.
__________________________

The point where I felt it possible for me to reach out to Olga and reconcile
her personal vision with that shared by the rest of us is this:

Most of you have said that while you want this event to accept the
submission of all types of freshwater aquascapes you want the
focus/bias/slant/whatever of the Contest portion and the Judging involved to
be heavily weighted in favour of aquatic gardens. I don't think I have to
cut and paste your individual comments into this to have you remember your
recent posts.

In my mind, if this is what you all want and it can be worked out as
logistically possible, I am willing to go along with it. But I can see the
complexity which it brings with it and I have stated my desire for
simplicity (REALLY! <g>).

In one private email to me, Olga made a comment which not only sums it up
beautifully, but (like Roger did before her) offers a simple, elegant
solution to the complexity issue and will prevent ANY possible confusion in
the minds of our entrants. I'm sorry to break the confidentiality of a
personal conversation here, but I want to quote what Olga had to say:

>And BTW it would probably be better, instead of weighting things to favour
>planted tanks, to state right out that the contest will be for planted
>tanks - this time - (implying a future chance for others) so folks are
>clear that their lovely rockscape will be showcased but not judged whether
>or not they check the little box.

There you have it.

Putting this comment together with everyone else's feelings and comments, I
am left with the following:

1. The event is open to the submission of entries of all freshwater
aquascapes.
2. All submitted entries will be Showcased on the Web.
3. Only aquatic gardens (Olga's "planted aquascape contest") are eligible to
be Judged in the Contest portion of the event.

To me, this is an elegant, simple statement of the nature of the event and
one which encompases the views of the majority of people here, given a
willingness on everyone's part to compromise their "positions" without
damaging or being unfaithful to their "principles".

It will also make it much easier for us to avoid ANY confusion in the
public's mind over what we are intending. Our advertising can then dispense
with masses of "fine print" which nobody will read/be able to understand.

Is THIS agreeable to everyone?

As I said earlier, I really appreciate the input that has been posted over
the past little while from everyone, and I wish to continue focusing on
positive, constructive movement towards our common goals.

James Purchase
Toronto




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