I don't get it

[Jennie@ifish]

I just spoke to someone on the phone that noted to me, that he has listed several important issues on the board and has gotten very poor responses.
I decided to try and gather an e mail list of volunteers for next years salmon carcass events. I posted about it. I got one response. One!
It suprises me that when someone does the slightest thing that is wrong, 100s of people get on the board and point it out. They then hash it out until people are really mad and want to leave the board.
Sometimes it is like a bunch of old ladies at a bingo hall, or maybe a bunch of old men at a barber shop..
Everyone complains and no one does anything about it?
"We have no fish!" The people cry! Why? Why do we not have fish? Where are those that are going to help us? They are busy on the board crying about no fish!
I have to wonder about this. What is it about negative things that get people to respond so rapidly?
How can we get these same people that love to fish and complain to do something?
People read on the board to find out all the hot spots, but yet many are not even registered. I would like it if we were here to share fishing reports, help our fishery, make good!!! ?
Dang, look at the numbers of people on ifish! Look at what we could do to help things! If we could somewhat unite, the possibilities are endless!
I was talking a person who finds that most people look at all the bad he might have done.
Here is a list of good he has done since becoming involved, and boy has he put his time in:
The Handicapped Ramp at the North Fork Nehalem... Five years of fighting, from start to finish to get permits, pushing the planning and development.
(One Last Cast expended a great deal of time surveying and grading for this project. Thanks, OLC!)
Kilchis Ramp takeout at 101. He pushed and planned this to completion.
Same with the boat ramp at The Hanenkrat (Loren Parks) Ramp on the Trask.
Samd with The Aldervale boat ramp takeout on the North Fork Nehalem and Beaver Slide Boat access on the South Fork Nehalem.
Legislative...
He raised heck until he got the state money for the cormorant hazing program.
He got the jet boats off the coastal rivers. (Sorry guys!)
He was the one that badgered ODFW into doing the coastal radio tagging of smolts.
He pushed ODFW until they put in a screw trap to monitor the migration of the salmon and steelhead smolts, both hatchery and wild.
I think some of you can guess who this is.
Seems he likes to stir it up a little. Seems he offends some people.. (Including me! images/icons/grin.gif... and he has!!!!) Seems he can be a little crass at times... I don't always agree with everything he does or says... but...
But gosh, guys... look at the good in people! Look at what his loyalty to our fisheries has accomplished.
This man is Jim Erickson.
And shoot me if you want, I welcome him, and challenge you to do half of what he has done to help YOU get into a fish!!
Jen

[David Johnson]

I agree Jen,

Jim has done a wonderful job for a lot of us while we sat around. We can thank him for a lot of the fish we take home.

[happybrew]

I think you're right, Jen. We are like a bunch of grumpy old men in a barber shop. BUT.... Some of us are very busy. Yes, I got offended and left the board for a while, but since I came back, I've avoided controversy. I haven't flamed anyone. I haven't gotten all huffy and puffy. I have stuck to fishing topics, with one exception, but I didn't argue with anyone, I just made a plea for love and forgiveness, as it is my Christian duty to do.

I can't get on the board every day. I have work at least five days a week, often more. My kids have softball four nights a week. I was so busy last winter that I missed the steelhead entirely. Up until a month ago, I had functions at church twice a week that I had to attend. Do I have time to advocate for fish? Not really. There are other things that take priority on my busy agenda. Heck, I can't even remember when my wife and I were able to get out alone. But I read, and I vote. I talk to others. I have many customers who come into my restaurant, and I give them fishing reports, and talk about many of the things I read here. They also vote. A lack of a posted response does not mean a lack of impact. Please don't feel frustrated. People are much more likely to post if they get their dander up about what someone else said, but with something they agree with entirely, they may not feel the need to post because they think the position has already been adequately addressed.

One thing I learned a long time ago when I was a sergeant in the Army, is that that lack of griping is a sign that something is seriously wrong.

People debate things. People get their dander up, but it's not necessarily bad. If you want to see bad, you should go to some of the Usenet religious discussion groups! I think that you'd be quite happy with the level of discussion that goes on here after going to one of those! In one that I frequent, the silence of some of the older posters lately is a sign that the group has seriously declined.

You and the moderaters do an outstanding job. You have a good impact on people. Things get frustrating at times, I'm sure, but nothing worthwhile was ever easy.

happybrew

[Jennie@ifish]

I didn't mean to sound really down. I'm not.
I am very happy with what we have here.
I do get a little discouraged at times though!
I am very VERY proud of the ifish group, and I know when all chips are down, I have tons of friends pulling for me, and for ifish, and for salmon issues or any cause that might arise.
The one thing Bill and I say every time after an ifish event is this:
"The ifish group sure are nice people..."
We have said that over and over!
And it's true!

images/icons/smile.gif

[CAGEY]

Jen, i think a lot of the members of this board would do a lot more it they had the time. Also iam sure a lot of us do things that no one is even aware of. Its just human nature to jump when you dont agree with something and easy to lay back and say nothing when you are satisfied. Do you know how many people actually make contact with a gov rep to complain or back a bill that may or may not be in our favor? You may have good reason to scold us but we mean well. Maybe we will all try a little harder in the future.

No one is listening until you pass gas.

cagey images/icons/blush.gif

[Deleted User]

Some of us already have pet projects (http://www.leg.state.or.us/01reg/measures/hb2800.dir/hb2891.1ha.html) that find us going to Salem from time to time. Need to tackle them one at a time.

These are worthy causes that tend to get more attention in between fisheries. Is it right? No, but that's how it is.

[WheresMyBobber]

Unfortunately I don't think you're alone Jennie. In addition to my regular job, I'm also VP of our Union and I see the same thing. It's hard enough to get people to attend meetings, let alone rattle cages at the legislature or get involved in other projects that pop up. People sure don't have any problem voicing their opinions when something upsets them, but getting them involved is another story. In talking to other groups that I'm involved and work with, they see the same thing too.

While there's no doubt that people lead busier lives and have less free time these days, there's also a lot of apathy in society today. There seems to be a feeling that there will always be somebody else to take care of things. The problem with that thinking is that projects suffer, things we take for granted erode or go away, and the people who ARE doing the work eventually burn out.

I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that if people would take the time to occasionally get involved or take action on issues that affect them, they'd find a great feeling of satisfaction that they played a part of something that mattered.

images/icons/smile.gif

PS - please don't turn this into a thread about the pro's and con's of organized labor. Thanks.

Also Jennie, I must have missed the fish carcass post. Can you bring it to the top or repost?

[Bait O' Eggs]

Jen - I am sure if there was an organized event to toss fish carcasses along a river this site would bring more people to help than were needed. When you ask who wants to attend, and no hard date is set and the details are not worked out, I think people are hesitant to say will make it when they may have a conflict with other things when it actually gets around to time to do it.

That original post read like ground work for a pre Govenor race. I guess we had better get started early if we want to get the good word out about Govenor Jim. images/icons/wink.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/wink.gif images/icons/tongue.gif

[fishbait]

Jen, its the old 80/20 rule and it holds true. 20% of us catch 80% of the fish. 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. No matter how hard you try you will not change this rule. Unfortunately there are alot of people that just go through life as an observer, usually not entirely happey with their lot in life but unwilling do do the things necessary to change it. This does not mean that they are not good people, they are usually the "salt of the earth", they are just not performing at their potential. There are many reasons why people choose not to step up, conflicts timing, etc, but there are just as many reasons whyjsome peolpe do find the time and step up. Our society signifantely rewards the few people that do what is necessary to perform at a higher level. People like Jim, yourself, or ANWS chapters past president and many others have experienced the inner satifaction from knowing thye have made a differance, made a contribution or brought about change. Most people in this world never experience this satisfaction, Yes its a shame but its also the real world.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

"Sometimes it is like a bunch of old ladies at a bingo hall, or maybe a bunch of old men at a barber shop.." -
AMEN...but at least I learned most of my dirty words from the old men at the barber shop; what have the old ladies done?

[Deleted User]

Yall... Do you know how to get an old lady to say f***?
Yell BINGO
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