[Sust-mar] Belated sust-mar update: Good for one more year, keep the messages rolling

[Peter Watson]

Greetings once again from the sust-mar moderator's desk! Here's a somewhat 
belated update on sust-mar funding and future.

Thanks to everyone who donated to the latest fundraising effort! We are 
basically covered for another year with Web Networks, up until September 
2015. There was no clear consensus to go any other direction in the 
immediate future, and considerable resistance to the free but corporate 
facebook/google/yahoo group options. Since the donations did come in (after 
considerable pleading) it makes sense to continue one more year with our 
present host, who also graciously lowered the yearly fee somewhat for us.

So please go ahead as normal in your use of sust-mar, and keep sending in 
news and events pertaining to sustainability and environmental stewardship 
in Atlantic Canada for another year!

However, to me it is clear I've done my time as sust-mar moderator, as it's 
probably been a decade. If it's important enough to you, I'd love it if 
someone would step up and take over the reigns! Or at least step in for some 
days or weeks. It's a great volunteer job for someone who can't spare a lot 
of hours, or who works from home, or is home caring for children or elderly 
parents, or is getting a little older themselves, but wants to stay 
connected to the happenings of Atlantic Canada's green movement. I can guide 
you gradually into the position.

On that note I need to make it clear that I am not interested in initiating 
any future fundraising pleas. The good news is that, hopefully starting next 
year, we have a serious potential offer for hosting the sust-mar list on 
similar and local network for a much lower cost. Identical format, minimal 
fees, and no ads or corporate interests. Will keep you posted on this.

Really am hoping this can work out. If it doesn't, the only other viable 
options for me are someone else taking over the day to day running of 
sust-mar (and managing any potential future move to another host/format), or 
letting it gracefully die for real this time next year.

So keep it rolling for now, and fingers crossed for the future.

Best,
Peter