I think Mike is looking for specific import info, locales and such. What to breed with what.
For example, I am thinking of getting 'spotted' retics . Are these from one locale? Or are they all from one locale and therefore all should be bred to each other. Spotted with 'normal'. I plan on finding this out before I acquire mine.

[QUOTE=Rich Frye;3178

Not everyone is going to want to pay the 'premium' for frogs which are union accepted. Not everyone will want to join . Not everyone will be allowed to join. New concepts?[/QUOTE]

I like that. But trouble could arise from it.
Michael

I do think people will pay for knowledge as far as quality, known lines go.

And another note, Taking this hobby this far could require its own site, board and forum. otherwise you would be breaking the all invited rule inwhich many forums use.
Michael

I guess I don't understand what makes this any different from the ASN program. The programs would appear to offer the exact same thing. Could you maybe explain how this would be different?

It's simple. After we get a number of people willing to write up all our base beliefs and practises into one readable package those interested either sign on the dotted line or they do not. You are in or out.
People almost always end up paying premiums for a premium product. Supply and demand. Free trade, ect. Ask a person what they consider important and what makes a quality dart and service from the person who sold it and that's what we are aiming for. Only the best. Only this time it will be quantifiable and hopefully more objective than subjective.

Well, to start with there will be an absolute , black and white statement with exactly our thoughts and hopes, along with an actual game plan as to how we are going to accomplish it, pertaining to the dart hobby only.
How does ASN deal with price issues?
Guarantees with live arrival and health after the ship?
How do they actually stem the tide of hybrids and those who wish to produce them?
Who do they have running their members' fecals and how long have they been dealing with dart parasites and their unique issues with certain specific parasites?
I can keep going, but quite simply, ASN does absolutely nothing when certain known negative effects are happening right here and right now in our dart hobby. They register some frogs in our hobby. Before ASN came along , I had much of my frogs registered elsewhere.

I have a feeling we can work up a simple DBU site. Accepted members only.

Your idae does far exceed the ASN plan as I have read their site front to back in the last weeks. With the planned use of your brother on the parisite issue I dont think any other group could go as far but the chytrid issues and a few others need to be addressed as well. I think you are right on as far as pushing this hobby in the right direction goes. You have ALOT of rules and practice requirements to put together. The number of views on this thread is growing so Im sure it will bring all the attention needed to put it into play.
Michael

The ASN program doesn't focus just on darts, but if willing dart keepers were all part of the program then the same outcome could be achieved.
I'm not sure what you are wanting in regards to price issues. I do know that many of the stewards would rather their offspring go to other stewards and will price and even give frogs accordingly.
I think anyone who is a responsible hobbyist already does this without the looming presence of an organization behind them.

Can anyone really stem the tides of those individuals? In all honesty, if the hybrids out there were actually tracked in the ASN database we would be better off. I would much rather know that the animal is a hybrid and to stay away than have to assume so and someone else get it thinking it to be a true locale animal.

All ASN stewards receive discounted prices with Dr. Kevin Wright for the exact thing you mentioned your brother doing.
They can't fix everything and it's still a relatively young program. I personally feel that putting forth this effort within the ASN program and not splitting the relatively small group of hobbyist into two different camps would be much more helpful to the hobby. I don't disagree with your goals in any way, but with a template already in place and an organization that is open to improvements I just don't see the advantage of "competing" within the hobby.

There are many advatages to competing but I dont think that is the goal. A program that is based soley on this hobby and its practices is the main objective. There are ASN members who would not go along with some of these views as well the other way around. Is there any known benifit that the ASN can produce in this hobby that another group cant?
From what I have read the ASN is open to all people and there money when this would be a collective group of hobbyists that agree on the entire aspect of pushing this hobby foward.
Michael