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Congratulations Indiawilds on reaching 1000 members. It is definitely a commendable landmark for any forum to reach in a year and half's time. Although this is only a milestone, there is a long way to go from here. Wishing the best for the forum.
Congrats Sabyasachi and all the members who have contributed to make this forum the way it is today.
I don't think this can be considered as a milestone.
If you look at online communities, 1000 doesn't seem to be a big number, especially in a time when every day there are many spammers (bots as well as individuals with the intention of spamming) registering. They can quickly raise the number to 1000 in a couple of months.
In IndiaWilds, spammers are routinely deleted, online bots are denied registration, people of questionable identity or who don't want to disclose their identity are removed even if they register.
Membership can indicate the popularity of an online community. However, unless this popularity is converted to some action, it is pointless. If people just enjoy photographs of beautiful tigers, elephants and other such megafauna but never take a step to fight to save the environment or are not allowed to do so by managers of online communities, then what is the point of having such a community?
Wildlife photographers have to understand that they have some responsibility towards the very subject they are photographing. It is highly insensitive if the wildlife photographers don't feel for their subject and shirk from raising their voice.
I am not trying to curtail your pleasure seeking tendencies. I am only hoping that the innate sense of goodness that each human being ought to posses, comes to the fore and each one of us understand that on his or her shoulders lies responsibilities.
Anyone who is reading this should remember that he or she is among the previledged few. For there were only 42 million PCs (personal computers) in India in 2009. The rest of the population is not so fortunate.
Knowing full well, that theoretically we can only reach out to a small portion of the population, still I started Indiawilds, as I believe that the power of a few committed individuals is more than thousands of not so committed ones.
Remember the days when people could not dream of talking to their ministers and other elected representatives. Today, you can shoot your petition in the comfort of your home and add your voice to discussion on conservation issues that are shared with the authorities. That is the power of technology and that is the power of online communities.
Open your eyes. Raise your voice, as a majority of others cannot. Take action. Glory will be yours.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Couldn’t agree more with Mr.Patra .As Nature lovers be it photographer or even a Conservation activist , Field volunteer, Researcher we are intruding on nature in more ways than one. While we complian about people stopping vehicles and having picnics inside reserves,we very conveniently ignore similar acts done by us except that we might be wearing camouflage clothes or using DSLRs. Every Wild life photographer or Field activist would have at some time or other disturbed the prey of a predator, the vigil of a herbivore, the brood of a Bird or at least the web of a spider . What right do we have to do this???? Our most plausible explanation is that while majority of our race dont give a damn about any of these things we are atleast doing this out of our love and concern for the future of these creatures.That our actions might in some small way contribute to the general wellbeing of a species or a habitat. For the over all good the minor transgression may be forgiven as they are imperative..
The moment the well being of your subject is not the prime motive a Field activist or wild life photographer is no different from a Encroacher or a poacher. There are Websites making lofty claims about their contributions to Conservation which host pictures of Flash Zonked Slender Loris when the so called expert members know very well the kind of damage it can do the creatures vision.It is in this that we should stand apart and in this we should take Deep pride.Personally it is indeed a previlege to be a part of this forum from where I get to learn so much and would like to take a bow to the people behind it especially Mr.Patra.I would also like to retirate that I would be more than happy to do anything to keep this forum going great as it has till now. A thread posted by Mr.Rajan.K says it all :
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=429
And by the way what happened to the discussion on the Indiawilds meet????
Regards
Roopak