I would like to just take a few minutes to thank people for not minding
that I can't carry FHL to other lists on a daily basis.  Life is just
usually too danged busy.  That is problem specific to my life right now,
rather than a preferred choice.  When I can do them on a daily basis I will
do so.  I am grateful to those who have said that they appreciate such
cross-posts.  Those are only a taste of what is available on the Ferret
Health List, of course.
 
The Ferret Health List is a moderated list to keep it on-topic, and to
ensure that posts are handled in as rapid a fashion as possible.  Having
multiple moderators who are well known to much of the ferret community
means that we can split chores to make them go faster.  Only questionable
posts are reviewed by all the list moderators before a decision is made,
and very few posts are rejected.  *****The normal post is seen and
immediately accepted by a single moderator.  Many checks of the site are
made each day, and often a question can be answered immediately to further
help the poster and speed information.***** Obviously, the discussions
are kept to ferret health-related matters.  Health-related follow-ups on
animals discussed already on the FHL are common and welcomed.  The over
500 members do sorrow for each other when losses occur, and regularly send
kind but private sympathy notes to keep the list fast for vets to read
(minimizing the scrolling needed helps the list's many vets and other
health experts get to the posters' needs more rapidly), but prayer requests
or obits for those ferrets who have not been the topics of health
discussions simply don't fit.  Fighting isn't permitted on the FHL, though
polite disagreements are since they can be learning opportunities.  As you
know, we were forced into having to decide to ban things which are or might
imply donation solicitations, and sales.  Those needs certainly are
fulfilled by other lists and by the services of the SOS.
 
The Ferret Health List is less than a month old, yet, it has over 500
members and a large group of marvelous health experts.  Yes, wrinkles are
still be ironed out, but it seems to me personally that it so far has
been a great achievement.
 
You will have noticed that Bruce William's signature line contains the FHL
webpage address,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list.
 
People can read the information there anytime to help their ferrets, even
without being members of the Ferret Health List.  Membership is needed to
post, though.  If you join watch for the letter for digest format.  If you
prefer digest format, please, follow the instructions for this automated
choice exactly.  They are very straight-forward.  If you decide to first
try the individual post, please, save that digest letter in case you
change your mind.
 
Being involved in the Ferret Health List (which I have tried to spell out
each time to reduce my typo of writing "FML" mistakenly instead of "FHL")
has given me, personally, even more respect for all of the work which
moderators like Bill, Lynn, Carla, and others face every day.  There is
a huge amount of work behind the scenes to keep it on-topic, running
smoothly, and cross-posted.  Knowing better just what such chores are
like makes me even more grateful for all they have done for so long.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 3357]