I think what this stuff really boils down to is newer folks wanting all these cool pieces they see and not being able to obtain them readily, frustrating them to the point they feel locked out, which is understandable.
I posted this in another thread today, not realizing this thread was current, and thought it to be an older one bumped up. As it relates I will repost it here:
"I like the naming thing for the pieces that transcend from "pink milli" and has taken on an identity unique to itself that separates it from the rest and resides in the reefkeeping culture for one unique reason or another. After all, the Declaration of Independence is just a musty old piece of paper isn't it?
Unfortunately, there are two groups involved: The hobbyist and the merchandiser. While my description and appreciation for this is coming from a collector and hobbyist point of view, there has been a surge in naming recently for pieces that just don't need to be. I pay these marketing ploys no bother and don't consider pieces until they are established by the reefkeeping community as valuable, not the retailers. Sure, I could name a piece tomorrow "dot's dippin' dots", but if its a turd of a coral and it doesn't stand out in the crowd, why bother naming a piece that won't be around long, only to slip back into obscurity as most of these do.
However, in a ever increasing competitive coral market, any sliver of a coral to be the next "big thing" will most likely get a name so that person can claim "ownership" in finding it, and tag along for the ride with the popularity of the piece. Its this reason I forsee more problems in the future of the same piece carrying two different names at the same time, and problems with phonies being slipped in. The outcome in the end is creating an ocean of uniqly named pieces, deviating from the original purpose of seperating the cream from the crop.
(Thats why we will confuse those who are trying to cash in on the "named" coral market and use names such as "Pink Milli" and "Acropora sp." for the important names, since those are the "rare" ones these days)
The LE thing is still grassroots based if you think about it from the lineage and grassroots networking points of view, it helps strengthen the group and "grass roots" feel people have mentioned they miss from the old days, meeting in parking lots and other imprompteu meeting locations to trade.
A certificate of authenticity could make the problem potentially go away, but then who is this governing "body", and how would the pace (and price) of this "piece of mind" cost? In my mind, that would only further strip part of the identity and culture of the hobby, only create the heiracrchy and "elitism" per se that would come about from it. I think someone should be documenting the history of the hobby as Tyree and other sites have attempted to do, not to issue a certificate of authenticity.
I will be the first to admit, we in California are spoiled, and consider myself lucky. And as Karl pointed out, its real easy to verify the piece as the originators are either friends, or friends of friends. As I eluded to in my other post, this is at the very heart of what "the good 'ol days" were about as many are quick to point out when this discusson comes up. The networking and trust with your fellow reefers is just as important to me as anything else within the hobby.
So I ask this, why do you care about lineage? I think it adds to my experience of the hobby, sharing in part of the lore and mystique of some of the pieces, and to be able to be a part of an extended family per se, which of whom are people I greatly respect.
Look, lets not be naive about this........its all about money and peoples want for instant gratifcation.......which are the real topics.
In the end, I like pretty colors........which is why most LE's are LE's to begin with.
This subject, and the lines it draws within the SPS community at times is toubling to me.
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