01-04-2015, 04:05 PM
I think we'll agree to disagree. I won't attribute as a high risk level to hybrids as you do - BD/CV, legislation, inbreeding - they all rise above hybrids on my ranked list. I also don't see a practical way to "fight" hybrids; in my view the core hobby needs to adapt to it, not try and foist our ideals on a group of people that frankly don't care, and won't listen anyway. You need to pick a fight you can win. Carve out a space you can defend, educate the broader hobby on our initiatives, and share our experiences. We can be open and welcoming to entrants in the hobby that are keeping hybrids...and perhaps sway them to help maintain the wonderful assortment of locales we already have. Sharing. Tolerance. Education.
The cichlid hobby has managed to get it right - if you like colorful fish buy from the "assorted African cichlid" tank at Petco and you are good to go. If you care about locale data, go to Dave's Fish and buy stock of known origin. They have organizations that welcome all comers - hybrid keepers and those that track locales. Some people love their blood red parrots - I'd never bring one in my house, but I would not drive them out of the hobby for giving their pet a good home and enjoying the experience of keeping the animal.
I'd rather keep the forums relevant as a place to obtain knowledge about these wonderful animals and as a central hub on thought leadership for advancing husbandry methods, not focused on driving people away that don't think like me. As we share knowledge and experiences, we'll grow the core as the overall hobby (hybrids included) grows. Hybrids are here, and they have their place, we just need to manage the core we care about. Other folks have already solved this problem, that's why I keep turning back to the cichlid hobby as an analog. We can steal their ideas, and successfully manage this growing hobby and the frog lineages we care about. That's the philosophy I'm moving forward with in my investments in this hobby.
The cichlid hobby has managed to get it right - if you like colorful fish buy from the "assorted African cichlid" tank at Petco and you are good to go. If you care about locale data, go to Dave's Fish and buy stock of known origin. They have organizations that welcome all comers - hybrid keepers and those that track locales. Some people love their blood red parrots - I'd never bring one in my house, but I would not drive them out of the hobby for giving their pet a good home and enjoying the experience of keeping the animal.
I'd rather keep the forums relevant as a place to obtain knowledge about these wonderful animals and as a central hub on thought leadership for advancing husbandry methods, not focused on driving people away that don't think like me. As we share knowledge and experiences, we'll grow the core as the overall hobby (hybrids included) grows. Hybrids are here, and they have their place, we just need to manage the core we care about. Other folks have already solved this problem, that's why I keep turning back to the cichlid hobby as an analog. We can steal their ideas, and successfully manage this growing hobby and the frog lineages we care about. That's the philosophy I'm moving forward with in my investments in this hobby.