Hi All,

My wife was asking me last night what is is that I get out of spending so
much of my time bothering to post to Bee-L.  I used that question for some
introspection.

I came to the realization that my reasons were roughly in this order:

1.  To challenge my own opinions.  By posting my working opinion on any
subject to Bee-L (and to other researchers off List) I submit it to
testing.  I want to see whether it stands up to informed scrutiny and
scientific skepticism.  I hope that any contrary evidence will be presented
back.  It is so easy to fool oneself, and the last thing that I want to do
is to fool myself or to win an argument based upon faulty assumptions.

2.  To learn.  There is a large store of knowledge in the posters and
lurkers.  I often get the most valuable information from the lurkers who
choose not to post, but rather contact me off List.  I thank Pete Borst,
who goes out of his way to initiate new topics of discussion. Bee-L is a
forum to exercise our brains, challenge misconceptions, and to make
intellectual progress.

3.  To share.  The sharing of knowledge is one of the most important human
traits.  I am rewarded daily with letters of appreciation.

And thank you Aaron for the amount of effort that you put in to make this
forum for discussion available!

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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