About

This network of websites was started by Jeff Pittman (www.geojeff.org), with the idea of environmental education and conservation advocacy. The organization is based on the network of stream drainages, dividing topical coverage along the natural way of things. Each web domain is dedicated to a given drainage basin, e.g., NechesRiver.org treats the entire Neches watershed from near Tyler down to the Beaumont area. Depending on where you live, relative to stream divides, you may be interested to follow the progress of development in several areas. Use of the stream drainage system as an organizational basis is not meant to convey emphasis on stream and water-related matters, but is simply a simple and meaningful way to divide the area.

The following principles will honored on these websites:

1. A nature-centric perspective will be emphasized to show how humans are part of the overall web of nature, are dependent on the health of that web, and are responsible for all human-caused degradations. In matters of debate concerning right and wrong of human action, recognition of the absolute right of other species to exist and to exist in viable numbers within adequate habitat space will be assumed, not just asserted.
2. Conservation and habitat restoration and maintenance will be chief concerns. Necessary topical discussion, political debate, and other human-to-human interaction will be considered as important, and critical at times, but a primary thrust of this system will be the facilitation of on-the-ground habitat work toward long-term conservation goals. Conservation groups will be encouraged to use this system for any benefit they may find.
3. Anything that detracts from #1 and #2 will be de-emphasized, disallowed, or deleted (to paraphrase a simplifying, catch-all environmental mantra). #1 and #2 seem to be solid and simple goals. It is perhaps easier to think of things to avoid, such as:
   • Website advertising as a way of generating income can involve management hassles, unwanted associations, clutter on the screen, etc.. There will be a need to handle cost of web server operations if this effort scales up, but that can be handled with contributions from individuals or organizations, probably. Keeping the effort in not-for-profit status, whether in a strict organizational designation or not, will be important, regardless.
   • Loosely-based or baseless commentary and coverage is damaging on all fronts. With the advent of the World Wide Web, and with its de facto celebration of free speech, we have a mixed bag of good and bad information. Good information is well-researched and adequately described. Bad information includes shoot-from-the-hip quips, parroted cliches or stereotypes, statements that are floated without connection to solid background research, and things that are just wrong - that fail under open scrutiny. Who has the self-control and wisdom necessary to avoid these pitfalls? How can they be found? Therein lies a primary reason for this effort getting stuck at square one - not for failing to find reasonable people or a good system design, but for trepidation to try. Web software features for handling reviewing of contributions, for forum-style interaction, and for other ways of interaction work well. The challenge is to create and maintain a system that results in good information, while maintaining harmony in the community. Establishing a set of guidelines and protocols first may help start people off on the right track.

Organizations

Previously, in thinking about the future of these websites, it was envisioned that various environmental and conservation groups would be involved as a primary way of organization. However, this way of organizing has been reconsidered, and the decision about this important question has been put on hold. This isn't based on any discussions with groups, but on uncertainty about the mechanics. A "flatter" organization of this effort, wherein only individual people are involved, is also a possibility, and might serve the overall goals better. But there should be ways to involve organizations.

Involvement

Content creation and maintenance of the system is envisioned to be done by like-minded individuals who get involved by taking on the following roles:

Reporter

Focus is on a given small area or spot. Content may include such things as commentary, photographs, and environmental and nature monitoring. Commentary is entered as text directly into the system as new information, as posts on discussion forums, as comments on content items, as blog-type essays, etc. Photographs and other images are uploaded to the system from personal computers. Custom software will be developed to accommodate environmental and nature monitoring. Semantics might be important for the name of this category, such that something like Contributor might work better than Reporter, depending on what develops.

Reviewer

Parts of a given web domain within the system, e.g. SabineRiver.org, need first tier reviewers, who are responsible for approving posts by reporters. Reviewers play the critical roles of spearheading new development, maintaining content created by reporters, and handling authority issues and permissions for reporters.

Manager

Individual web domains such as VillageCreek.org need high level managers, perhaps several per domain, to handle recruitment of reviewers and reporters, to do public relations work, to interact with other managers, to be a liaison with conservation groups, and to serve the important role of continually canvassing current events to update coverage of issues.

Ideas

As described above, a biological focus, fueled by nature reporting would certainly hold value and would serve an obvious need. There are other activities that could be important to try, such as a focus on describing land use. For instance, given areas could be described at different times in history to show how the landscape has changed during human history. "Reporters" could find photographs, old maps, gather oral histories, and so on, for a given focus area. Describing historical change is important for understanding what things are like now, and why, and forms a needed basis for thinking about the future.

Name of Overall Effort

Calling it the East Texas Ecology Network has a connotation that fits the more strict biological focus described above. But East Texas Conservation Network is more general, and is perhaps better. East Texas Environmental Network has also been considered. The variation in naming reflects importance of semantics.