Re: [Aroid-l] Selling plants on the aroid website??????

From: plantguy at zoominternet.net> on 2005.11.05 at 04:11:35(13510) Well, ever since I read the original post from Brian I've been sort of contemplating the idea put forth. I agree with Ken that this is a very complex undertaking that likely will require a full-time employee that can oversee all aspects of the auction business. Of course, the IAS needs to decide whether their ambition is to become a business with the long-term goal of furthering education with respect to aroids. I assume that the IAS is a non-profit organization and so the hoped for wind-fall should be well thought out in advance. If their are extra monies then who is going to review the grant proposals that come in for exploration?? What sort of format would be implemented to approve applications for monies?? I would also hope that the IAS dues are not used for advertising purposes. While I am considering joining the IAS as I benefit from the aroid-l and info disseminated I would not join if I felt that my dues were being used to advertise an auction house. Obviously, the money raised form the auctions culd be used for that purpose. Also, if the IAS is taking an active role in advertising the business end of things then they would seem to be tacitly approving what is being sold. This is a critical point as it goes to credibility. In my field of work (professor of Cell Biology and Physiology) credibility is paramount and so it should be for any organization that is attempting to educate the public at large. Having said that, I wonder who would be responsible for policing the auctions? We have all seen the auctions where a bulbifer bulbil is advertised as rare just because the petiole is supposedly unique when of course it is not at all unique and the seller must surely know that. How about an Amorph. konjac advertised as being "rare"! Would the IAS wish to promote such a message with an auction that they have advertised to draw people in?? If education is the goal of the IAS, which I feel confident it is, then auctions being promoted by the IAS should hopefully meet the same standard as the rest of the information on the wonderful site that has been developed to date. I know that if I were purchasing from such a site I would expect a correctly IDed plant that is promoted fairly and not with an ostentatious, over the top, gimmic-laden, ebay-ish bunch of nonsense. Obviously, I do not see this as simply an ebay competitor. On ebay everyone must surely know that it is buyer beware, whereas when you are purchasing an aroid from an aroid society promoted web site I would sincerely hope that the standard would be far, far higher. While the notion presented has merit, I clearly feel that one of the last things to be considered is how much money can be made. Rather, I personally feel that the education mission and credibility of the wonderful IAS organization should be considered in terms of how it may be raised up or diminished by such a venture. If a side benfit is making extra money that can be used to further this mission then so be it, but more money at the cost of credibility is of no consequence and in fact rather damaging. I may be completely off base (not atypical), but I just felt after givng this some thought that the IAS should consider something more than the work-load and money that can be made which has dominated the posts to date. Obviously, I sell a few different aroids on ebay, via my web site and via communications with aroid geeks like myself and am not opposed to the notion. I just feel that the members of the IAS should consider carefully what sort of foot they want to put forward from the initial guiding principles of education before venturing forth with a business venture that will directly impact on the image of the society either favorably or the less favorable possibility. +More Have a great wekend everyone :o) Dan Daniel Devor zone 6a Gibsonia, PA www.TreasuredBotanicals.com ----- Original Message ----- To: "Discussion of aroids" Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 10:48 AM Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Selling plants on the aroid website?????? Folks, The IAS Board of Directors will be discussing this and some other related related proposals. I think we all agree that it's a complicated thing that could easily fail, and there are some issues about billing that will require a bit of thought. It's going to, at the very least, require some research to determine if it would get used and pay for itself. Anyway, we're thinking about it. --Albert IAS Web Guy _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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