It sounds like there were a few issues with respect for ownership of
the givingtree.

Here's just a little snippet on how I see this issue.

Sometimes when things grow too big, and the technology used to keep
them up lags behind, others will fill the niche with newer, faster, and
more automated technology. Kris had done a great job keeping up with
manually pasting photos and making webpages for a while, until the tree
became too large to be manually finished and the older 16-bit graphics
and autoplay tunes (Not office friendly) became tedious to deal with.
Granny needed a lift.

The new tree is automated and has a clean, newer look. It isn't the
person who ran the tree, or the care they put into it that is being
replaced, but merely the technology that runs it. The database now does
the work that Kris had to do in his spare time, after hours, and into
the night. Shelters will now not need to tell 8 people that the ferret
is taken (or sometimes that he died and never got a rainbow, etc.)--
eating up all their time they could use elsewhere and using up the
Santas time hunting through 24 webpages for a ferret that doesn't show
it is taken, but really is.

Change can be really hard sometimes especially when it feels things are
being cast aside. The only real analogy I can think of is that of the
BetaMax tape- still usable, still appreciated, but newer technology
beat it out: it is however, forever, a solid piece of history that
isn't forgotten and is often looked on with fond memories. That's what
the older tree is.. the foundation for something that will, and should,
continue to grow.

I think once everything falls into place, both santas and shelters will
find the whole process much easier and probably more fun. With new
technology comes new opportunity as well. Think of it.. maybe in a
few years the Santa can watch a shelter parent holding up the ferret
talking about their story and showing what the ferret would like and
what his cage looks like. Think of how personal the experience could
become with the right tech application?

I suppose that's my pence of the moment. I'm going to continue to
cherish the home movies on betamax, but appreciate and revel that my
child will have color, HD digital video to watch when he is old enough
to make future memories for his own children.

Nobody can the tree away: it belongs to all of us

Laura

[Posted in FML 6458]