Georgia Online Wildlife Forum, GOWFOR-L, is a mailing list devoted to discussion of and information dissemination concerning Georgia's fauna, excluding birds. It is hosted on Emory University's LISTSERV server.

On this page you will find subscription information, topic guidelines, posting guidelines and other issues.
 

• To join or leave the list, or to change subscription settings, please visit:

http://listserv.cc.emory.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=GOWFOR-L&A=1

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You may also subscribe by direct e-mail command: send a message with a blank subject line to listserv@listserv.emory.edu, stating,

Subscribe gowfor-l Firstname Lastname

You will receive a confirmation message. Please note that the user name is LISTSERV@, not  GOWFOR-L@.

To leave the list by direct e-mail command, follow the same procedure but the message text should read

Signoff gowfor-l
 

• To change subscription options, you will need to establish a Listserv password by going to:

http://listserv.cc.emory.edu/cgi-bin/wa?LOGON&L=GOWFOR-L

and clicking "get a new LISTSERV password". Then you may log in to change options. If you encounter difficulties, please contact a listowner (see below).

You may also change subscription options by e-mail: send Listserv commands to
listserv@listserv.emory.edu

(DO NOT send these commands to GOWFOR-L@... but to LISTSERV@...)

For example, you can temporarily suspend your subscription (e.g. when going on vacation) by sending the command (without quotation marks): "set gowfor-l nomail", and reinstate it by sending the command: "set gowfor-l mail".
 
 

• To send a message to all list subscribers, address it to:

gowfor-l@listserv.emory.edu
 
 
• To access list archives, follow the URL:

http://listserv.cc.emory.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=GOWFOR-L

• To contact a listowner, send a message to

gowfor-l-request@listserv.emory.edu

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The geographic scope of GOWFOR-L extends to areas adjacent to the State of Georgia, as long as the topic is relevant to the state as well. Acceptable discussion topics include the following, all subject to the posting and formatting guidelines listed further below. If unsure whether a message is proper, please contact the listowner(s).

• Wildlife observations and trip reports.
• Help with identification and any other questions concerning wildlife.
• All fields of wildlife biology.
• Geographical distribution of wildlife, including viewing sites.
• Techniques and equipment for wildlife study.
• Wildlife conservation news and biology.
• News and announcements of non-profit, wildlife-related activities.

• Care of injured wildlife, and wild organisms kept legally for research or educational purposes. These topics are beneficial to both subscribers and animals. Extended discussions of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences are unacceptable, however. Exchanges concerning captive maintenance unrelated to research or education (e.g. the pet trade) are prohibited, as are related moral and ethical arguments.

• Wildlife / nature photography. This topic is acceptable as it has both scientific and recreational merits for wildlife study. Posters should remember, however, that this is not a photography forum and that lengthy, technical photo discussions may be entirely irrelevant to many subscribers.

• Various aspects of non-zoological natural history, including botany and mycology. These topics are commonly of interest to wildlife watchers. GOWFOR-L remains a wildlife-oriented list, however, and thus extended discussions / threads of other topics should be avoided.

The following topics are explicitly prohibited on GOWFOR-L.

• Birds. Georgia bird discussions are the domain of the GABO-L mailing list.

• Information not directly relevant to the State of Georgia.

• Political, philosophical, legal, ethical and moral arguments.

• Environmental advocacy and activism.

• General conservation and environmental issues.

• Advertising and commercials of any and all types.

• Chain letters, newsletters, virus warning and computer-related topics. Discussion of issues related to the list itself are acceptable.

• Hunting and fishing.

• The pet trade and wildlife kept as pets without a research or educational connection.

• Domestic animals.

• Prolonged discussions of wildlife attraction, gardening and feeding. General or brief discussion of these topics is acceptable.

• Wildlife problems & pests (e.g. raccoons at trash cans, slugs in gardens, squirrels at bird feeders).

• All posts must be in plain text. Any text formatting (e.g. HTML) and/or attachments are prohibited.

• All posts must be signed with the poster's real name AND geographic location. Signature quotes are acceptable but should not be potentially inflammatory (e.g. religion and politics). Signatures may include one's business association and any related or personal URLs, but not advertising.  E.g., Sam Subscriber, GA Wildlife Tours, Inc.  is permissible, but not Sam Subscriber, GA Wildlife Tours, Inc.  For the best deals in guided walks, visit...

• All posts must include a relevant subject line.

• Replies should minimize the amount of quoted information in order to optimize the usage of archives storage space.

• All observations must include location, date and the observer's identity (in case the sighting is of scientific importance).

• At least when first mentioned within a message, all common animal names must be spelled fully and correctly. Not doing so limits the value of the list archives.

• Use of scientific names is strongly encouraged, particularly for creatures that are not well known to the public.

• Replies of an informational nature should be sent to the list; personal ones to the original poster.

• Posts of a scientific nature should be kept as readable and understandable as possible to those without a scientific background.

• It is understood that posters reserve the right to withhold details when writing about sightings on private property or of threatened species.

• Anecdotes and humor are welcome.

• Subscription to the list constitutes an agreement to abide by its regulations.

• The listowner(s) reserve the right to enforce the guidelines and revise them at any time.