TOMORROW, Friday the 21st, is the TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the
Ferret Mailing List.

Here is an article on the FML:
<http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-news/2012/12/18/the-ferret-mailing-list-sees-silver.aspx>

When Chris Lewis began the FML twenty-five years ago (with more than a
bit of support from Patricia Paley :-) ) I doubt he expected it to last
a quarter of a century! The weird thing is that the final straw for
supporting the beginning of a private group was a band of ferret-hating
harassers who kept posting disgusting graphic thing like fake ferret
recipes to the open list which predated the FML.

(BTW, that open list then closed. Years later that ferret specific
designation was used for a second open group which also failed. Then
later there was a third and I think that also failed but I stopped
following it. So, during the lifespan of the FML there have been a
series of separate groups w the same name as the group which preceded
the FML but NOT a continuously lived group with that precursor's name.
The FML is the longest lived continuous ferret group -- except possibly
for a British ferret club (Chris in Britain?) -- as far as I know.)

Chris Lewis was the moderator for the first 7 years and then Bill
Gruber (who had become back-up moderator and who supplied multiple
features like the archives and the anonymity feature that began as a
way to protect people living in FFZs) took over for the last 18 years.
The transition to a new moderator was very smoothly done from the
perspective of list members; it just glided right over. Yes, the FML
ownership and moderation began in Canada then moved to a Northeastern
U.S. moderator.

Originally, the FML did not need to come out every day, but during
Bill's time as moderator it has, and Bill has taken barely a handful of
days off in those 18 years. Pretty much it took Bill or a family member
landing in the hospital, or them losing power or internet or server
connection due to things like storms for the FML to not appear.

Thousands of us have benefited from Bill's generosity of spirit and
time, perhaps even tens of thousands over the last 18 years. Certainly,
tens of thousands of ferrets have benefitted.

Did you know that the people who formed many of the ferret lists and
major ferret groups first met on the FML? Did you know that multiple
products beginning with Cheweasels and even the -- since sold-away --
first ferret store (Called appropriately "The Ferret Store") began due
to FML? Did you know that most of the ferret-specific vocabulary (words
and phrases) in use commonly today popped up first on the FML? Did you
know that the FML spurred multiple efforts that improved the health
care and safety of all ferrets, or that multiple major rescues and
shelters would never have been able to happen without the FML? Did you
know that people like Judith and Ela met on the FML and founded the
SOS, and others (Christopher Bennett to whom I was introduced by Wolfy,
Dr. Bruce Williams, Mike Janke, and I) who met thanks to the FML
founded the FHL? Look at almost any major ferret group that postdates
1987 and you will learn that the people first got to know each other
and spotted the needs they later filled on the FML.

Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game.

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

A nation is as free as the least within it.

[Posted in FML 7646]