From: "Lloyd Spear" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>


> I think both sites should continue.

> Visit our web site at http://www.rossrounds.com.

   Basically, Lloyd, you are saying that it would be OK for Dr. Huang to
develop a new comb honey system (possibly even better than yours), using
government and grant money, coupled with the latest technology available in
a large university (that you can't afford), and give this equipment away to
any and all. Would this be fair?  Oh, yes, he would generously establish a
link to your page, though.

  Or say, for our bee labs to develop a varroa-resistant line of queens,
then give them away in such quantities that our established queen breeders
could not sell theirs...

   I have always envisioned our bee labs, and our land grant universities in
a partnership with the private sector, not in competition. I have always
supported them insofar as they do this. I can see a case for Mr. Huang to
develop, within the sphere of his official duties, a database for Michigan
pollination, and I would cheerfully support that.  THAT would be a case of
cooperation.

   The pollinator database I have built is the prime feature of my page. My
resources are limited. I built The Pollination Home Page over the years,
with only my free time, and the limited resources I could give.

   When the World Wide Web was young, and I was only a few weeks from
learning how to turn on a computer, I had a pollination web page up. It grew
and developed over the years to be a huge, though perhaps not well-organized
page. I always wanted it to be more, but I could afford neither the time,
nor the latest technology to do it all. Now, as I have been shutting down my
pollination business, I had hoped to further improve the web page, and
develop its commercial possibilities.

   And John Edwards, I have long valued your contributions to this list, but
I am really disappointed to hear your take on this, as a simple Ford and
Chevy competition. It is much more like a government takeover of GM.

   It hurts to have Dr. Huang saunter in with nothing but criticism for my
efforts, though he is obviously not very familiar with them, and basically
tell me to get lost; he's taking over. It hurts to see him continue
criticisms on his database intro that have been refuted here on this list.
It hurts even more to realize that any commercial possibilities of the
pollination page will be forever gone, with its key feature upstaged.  I
know there are drawbacks to any jobs, but it does sometimes seem that
salaried, tenured and perked folks don't comprehend what a treasure a hard
won clientele is to an entreprenour.

   Or maybe it's just the classic case of the old ghezer resenting the young
whippersnapper telling him he is a has-been...

   I did not accuse Mr. Huang of being mean-spirited, as he mentions, but I
think he should realize that his project could and probably will be the
death of mine. My page, to continue, must grow and become more
self-supporting. Personally I think he has more important things to do than
duplicate and compete with what the private sector is already doing.  I have
long been a supporter of Dr. Huang's efforts, and I don't think he is at all
aware of the several links I have to his page.

   After the terrible losses of my own bees from the illegal state-sponsored
mosquito spraying after Hurricane Hugo, I was struggling to keep my business
going, and honor my pollination committments to my growers.  I arrived one
morning to deliver the bees ordered by a strawberry grower, only to find
that a few hours earlier, bees had been placed by Clemson Extension for a
research project at no cost to the grower. Neither Clemson Extension nor the
grower had notified me of this.

   If you have ever been in a tight spot in your business, with the banker
laughing at the idea of loaning you anything, and most of your income still
a couple months away, you might just realize what a treasure an early cash
money contract was for me. It was actually grocery money, as well as
something to cover bee bills. Not only had I lost the contract, but I was
out the money I did not have, to transport them to a distant site, and then
turn around and bring them home. Furthermore, Clemson Extension had
contracted with another beekeeper for the bees, so I permanently lost an
important client.

   I don't think the Clemson folks were a bit concerned; they certainly have
not ever even offered an apology (though I had repeatedly offered to work
with them on research projects, and had at times donated hives to their
research). I think it was wrong for them to compete with an established,
competent, and yet struggling business.

   As Yogi said, "It's deja vu, all over again."



Dave Green   SC  USA
The Pollination Home Page (Now searchable): http://pollinator.com

PS:  Dr. Huang, could I get a grant from MSU-GREEEN?