To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Varroa Treatments <>From: "Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652" <PVANWESTEN@G <>AXY.GOV.BC.CA> <>Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 09:05:00 -0700 <>Subject: Re: Varroa Treatments <> Andy, <> You are entitled to your own opinions, but your response to Andrew <> Matheson's e-mail seems overly harsh and uncalled for. I am not <> talking on behalf of Andrew but I believe he is, as Director of IBRA, in <> a better position than most of us to report about some of the things <> happening in eastern Europe. Why would the reports he refers to be of <> no value or be inaccurate? IBRA has had and continues to have <> supportive contacts and roles with beekeeping communities in many parts <> of the world where most beekeepers do not have personal access to <> information or the means to communicate with beekeepers in other <> countries. Tanks Paul, I needed that. I am sure Andrew is a good fellow and though I am not a member of IBRA, I was for many years, until the cost's got a little out of line even for a commercial beekeeper. Yes I can and do express my own opinions and they are just that, my opinions. They may seem a little cynical at times but if I am somewhat of a cynic I learned it from my own 40+ years of beekeeping experience. <> As was mentioned recently on the BEE-L, the vast majority of subscribers <> are associated with research facilities, government agencies and the <> like (all of whom you seem to despise) who have the means to communicate <> through the Internet. Of all the private subscribers, virtually all are <> in North America where the access to the Internet is reasonably <> affordable. Even in western Europe private subscribers pay enormous <> fees to be on the internet. If you think you will contact east European <> beekeepers through the Internet, you are dreaming. No I don't despise any class of beekeepers, be they large producers, hobby beekeepers, academics, regulators, or what ever sex, color, race, or religion. I do find fault with the cozy relationship some have had that has caused much harm to individual beekeepers because of bad science and poor regulations. I also don't judge any book by it's cover or it's price. As far as the cost of the access to e-mail, it is very reasonable in the US and other places outside of the academic community. Any beekeeper or their friends can for the price of a telephone call can d/l all the B-List and sci.agri.beekeeping mail from my own bbs in less time then it takes to write this post. Yes, I am a dreamer or I would not have set up the system 5 years ago, and I do get messages and calls from beekeepers world wide. Not as many as I dreamed of, but I forget sometime's that not all beekeeper's have modems and cpu's,..cell phones...maybe. <> By the way, the IBRA is not there to sell you anything for a profit. <> The organization is there to foster beekeeping in all parts of the world <> through the dissemination of information. To me, a pretty honourable <> pursuit. To tell you the honest truth I have been a small business person all my life, never had a real job or pay check other then from keeping bees, I Love My Boss, because I am self employed and I am no longer impressed by non profit business, maybe because my own has been that way many times. So I don't see anything more honorable about selling information for a profit or SELLING it not for profit. But I must agree the IBRA is a good service to those who can afford it. I have hope's that in the future more will become available on-line so more beekeepers can have access to more information at less cost if not from the IBRA then some other source. Thanks for your comments' ttul Andy-