Adding my 2 cents worth to the non-bee-biology discussion of whether to spin off a separate beekeeping list, I have to voice an emphatic NO! The spin-off discussion is a repeat of what has been an annually raised issue over the past three years, and usually wraps up with the decision to stick with the status quo, while making an attempt to include subject headers about whether a post pertains to beekeeping or biology. This has worked for a number of years, doesn't seem to be broken, so why fix it? The only worthwhile (IMHO) suggestion from this discussion is a FAQ, and we already have a volunteer (a non-military type, I presume). Opening up/migrating/spinning off this list to a newsgroup was discussed in the past and it was decided that that was not the way to go, mainly due to the amount of traffic that newsgroups generate. Newsgroups are advertised to the WORLD by virtue their existance, tend to draw opinions vs real information and opens the discussion to every Malibu Skipper, Gilligan and Barbie who may see a beekeeping list and chose to invade it with inappropriate comments about the soulless nature of uncaring bee people who should willing accept unsolicited drivel on their list while respecting the poster's right to privacy! That kind of traffic was unwelcomed and led to a number of learned posters abandoning the list. The entire list suffered from the exposure. I for one benefit from both strains of discussions on this list and it was generally agreed upon the last time around that the biology folks benefitted from the beekeepers' posts and vice versa. I would hate to have to subscribe to this list for the biology discussion and have to review the newsgroups for the beekeeping issues. It seems to me that newcomers to this list have arrived with good intentions and ideas to fix something that was never broken in the first place. Beekeepers! C'mon down. Newbie questions will be addressed with referrals to good literature where your questions will be answered in totality. This information highway is a wonderful tool, but it will NEVER be a substitute for a good book. Spinning off a separate newsgroup to avoid too much science?!? I don't think so!