mark wrote:
>
> Bobby you wrote:
> "Common names are fine for children and beginners..."
>  I must reply that we are all beginners, who amongst us can consider
> themselves an expert. I do know many who claim this but it's a fool who
> would boast "I know it all"...
> The wisest man once replied "I don't know, teach me "
> Please don't take this as an insult , I 'm just stating that we all have
> much to learn and if using common names along with Latin names helps when
> communicating with others then this is beneficial to all concerned.My wife
> says that she considers herself a beginner as she learns something new
> everyday. mark
 
 
I am saying after several years of collecting (over 30) we do not
consider ourselves beginners...we are at least advanced collectors.  I
do realize we will never know it all...and neither will anyone else.
But our goal in our club and as mentors to many beginning collectors is
to teach them.
 
I have to admit my husand is a wiz.  In our collection of over 7,000
species he can not only call them all by their latin names...but can
usually tell them where they came from and the author and date...we
could never have done that 25 years ago!
 
No...sorry I don't think we are ALL beginners.   A beginner is just
starting to learn...like a beginner swimmer.  After a certain amount of
time he becomes an intermediate and then advanced. We consider ourselves
advanced...but again that doesn't mean we are not STILL learning because
that is something we expect all our lives is to continue to learn...or
become stagnant.
--
Jim & Bobbi Cordy
Specializing in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells