Hello,
 
I've no idea how to write an introduction (especially on a list populated
by so many well-known and experienced veterans), but I've got to do it
sometime, so...
 
My name's Kevin Gifford, and I've been owned by a pair of ferrets for
three months now -- I adopted them through the ferret organization here
in Houston soon after I moved from San Francisco.  I've been active in
the organization since (they recently restarted activities after a long
dormancy), and so far I've enjoyed the experience immensely.  I've been
reading the FML for four or five months, and now I don't feel like I've
truly started the morning unless I've read it all the way through.
People may say there's too much of this or that on the list nowadays,
but I still have yet to find a larger group of intelligent ferro-people
in one place.
 
The reason I'm posting is because I'm thinking about starting a weblog
devoted to ferrets.  This may not sound too extraordinary, but I don't
think there's anyone else on the Web doing what I have in mind.
Basically, I'd like to start a sort of personal news site devoted to
ferrets, a place where people can read new articles on the guys and
maybe discuss them on a local messageboard.  It wouldn't be a staid
place, though -- the sorts of articles I have in mind include:
 
- Links to online (mainstream) news articles that have to do with ferrets
 
- Pertinent news/anecdotes on ferret issues linked from other ferret
  resources, such as the FML/FHL or related groups on Yahoo or
  Livejournal, with a concentration on health and legality issues
 
- Links to shelters whenever they're selling new stuff, or putting up a
  new event report, etc.
 
- Features on basic ferret care with lots of pics 'n such
 
- Pix of my and other people's ferrets (can't have a web site without
  those)
 
- Perhaps a running list of online donation/charity/sale drives being
  held by U.S. shelters/organizations, ordered by priority or somesuch
 
That sort of thing.  Basically, a friendly little weblog/news site where
I and other people talk about ferrets a lot.  Reader input would be
encouraged, of course, especially considering I'm a ferro-neophyte and
I'm bound to make mistakes in my writing.  I've actually written some
ferret-related entries on my current weblog -- you can take a look to get
an idea of what the writing style would be like on this new ferret site:
 
http://www.video-fenky.com/archives/000352.html
http://www.video-fenky.com/archives/000364.html
http://www.video-fenky.com/archives/000382.html
 
Now, my questions to FML readers: Do you think a site like this would be
interesting to ferret owners?  Would you be interested in reading it,
for that matter?  Is there anyplace else on the Web doing something
like this?  I don't want to duplicate what's already on the net, and
certainly it's not my intention to step on the toes of FML or any other
net resource -- this site would be unaffiliated with any other group or
organization I may be a member of.  It just struck me as surprising that
there was no single place on the Web to go to for up-to-date news and
stories, considering the millions of ferrets out there.  There are a
great many good ferret sites, of course, but most of them are pretty
static -- I think I might be able to fill a space with the site I have
in mind.
 
Feel free to let me know your opinions or suggestions on what I just
outlined, either here or via email.  I look forward to hearing from you.
 
k
[Posted in FML issue 4879]