Dear Barb P. and other listfriends,

I would like to make some remarks and some suggestions
that may be usefull in making the list more easy to handle by
the members.

First I 'll give my opinion regarding the purpose of the list,
the various reasons why members have problems with
the list and the solutions as I see them.

The total effect of all PD symptoms is that the possibilities
to COMMUNICATE with the world outside our body become
less and less as PD progresses.
Therefor -more than for other lists- the main objective of a PD
list must be COMMUNICATION (about whatever PWP come
across in their daily life and the struggle with PD).

Why do members IMO have problems with the list?
Several PD symptoms make reading difficult:
1 - concentration problems
2 - eye problems
3 - muscular problems
4 - sensibility to stress
Several NON-PD problems make reading difficult:
5 - the total volume of the list
6 - the variety in subjects
7 - the (needless) use of HTML format
8 - the (needless) including of too many lines from the original
      message someone is replying to or forwarding.
9 - not stating on what message and by whom written you are replying to.
Other problems:
10 - fear of posting messages
11 - fear of aggression by fellow members on list
12 - fear of aggression by fellow members off list
13 - fear of spamming

Suggestions for solutions:
- NOT only the VOLUME but especially the LAYOUT of the
  messages makes the list difficult to read.
- HTML is NOT allowed. Who uses it gets a warning. Several
  warnings result in (temporary) exclusion from the list.
- Reposting a (nearly) same message is not allowed within
  3 days. Same ruling.
- In a reply no more then 15-20 continuous lines from the
  original message are allowed. (Setting in listservsoftware)
- Often there are several messages by several people on the
  same subject. State clearly the message and person you
  are responding to.
- Members that repeatedly send non-topic-messages to the list,
  should be given a warning by the list-owner.

The last few months there has been over and over again a
discussion about how to control the listvolume. Anyone
becoming a member of a list of 1600 people should understand
that 75 messages each day is not much compared with f.e.
a random choosen newsgroup with 1600 people connected.
If the above rules were followed consequently the total listvolume
would reduce to HALF of its present volume (= half the number
of lines).
Although it would increase the listvolume (by 25%) I suggest
to change the way of replying back to the original. Many
replies and suggestions are now given off-list or not at all.
Inherent these do not reach other (lurking) members, nor are
these messages searchable in the archives. A regretable loss
of input of knowledge for present and future members. Also a
reply on the list would activate more replies with knowledge that
otherwise would no be shared with the list.

The fear!!!!!!!!!
Not only new members are afraid of posting.
I've been on the list for a year now, and know several members
that do not post (often) because of the intended or not-intended
aggressive reactions on as well as off list. It should be clear to
listmembers, that aggression and flaming on or off list towards
other members is unacceptable. Warnings by listowner and if
necessary exclusion from the list.

The open list and fear of spamming.
The listarchives have allways been accessable for everybody
on the Internet (though this was not common knowledge).
Normally only people that are involved in PD will access the
online messages. Besides: are we ashamed of our problems
we have with PD. IF we dont tell the public, no wonder they
have no insight in the severeness of PD.
About spamming I know the following:
Spamming is a crime in the USA (some postal law I once read).
Providers therefor must take action against spamming.
Spamming is mostly done automatically by computers that
gather emailaddresses, not from little lists like PARKINSN,
but f.e. from Yahoo and member-databases from providers.
There are several ways of counteracting spamming:
- send the spammer the text of the postal law.
- send a message to the spammers provider.
- send a message to your own provider to bounce messages
  from the spammers address.
- some emailclients have settings for not accepting messages
  from a specific address.
- you can change your return-emailaddress in a way that a computer
  cant reply automatically to your address. (but then this also is the
  case  for the listserver!!!).

Two questions you might ask:
- Are all these rules not going to limit my freedom to send as I please??
- Is Barb P. then deciding on her own how the list must function, or is
  that a decision by all listmembers?

Everywhere are rules accepted limiting your freedom to do as you please:
in traffic, at work, at home, so why not on the list.

Barb P. has never been questioned by anyone as the excellent list-owner
she is!! She has always done what she thought was the best for the list,
allways considering the total of opinions of all members as much as
possible.

Hope this helps,     Hans.