Hello,
I just read Ritas Weeks' letter to Camilla re: response of John C. re: list
content. I value my time more than ever, and I have come to take the
now-seemingly-sage advice of others about the delete button. We dont have
time, we dont like it, we dont agree with it, we dont want it--delete it. If
others label postings clearly half the job is already done, and if a joke is
labelled a joke, medical/research info or legal info or
support/commisseration is labelled as such, I can make further decisions
about what I read or dont read without even opening the postings. We do know
each other, and I may want to read JoAnn talk about her cats one day or Ivan
talk about his political activism another day or Don McKinley's fall into the
sump pump another day. I save Murray's news and Ray's PMID postings for that
one day when I (yes, I do) skim-read an entire month or so at one time. I
pick and choose, and when I am ill, I do not participate or not as much.
I devoured every bit of information about the WTC when it first
happened. I still think all of this WTC material belongs on the list. We
are all different, very diverse, and with very different interests. There is
no question in my mind that the WTC situation caused us collectively, and
individually (read Carole H's posting from her perspective close to the WTC)
stress. Some of us did not behave properly on the list, either by not
labelling postings or being offensive or argumentative, but that should not
be the basis to close the list to this specific WTC topic. I understand the
long-standing battle to get the jokes, etc. off the list; this has NOT worked
and even with SPARKLE this has not worked. Why not let all the limerick and
joke people continue to put them on list as long as the postings are
labelled as such. I, at first, saved the limericks, without opening them,
and then,in one fell swoop, in the interests of time and space, I deleted
them all without opening them. [I also cringed and deleted my favorite, the
NY TImes online, because there was too much to read ]. Each of us
inidividually has to make the list serve our own purposes, and we each can
pick and choose from what is offered. The WTC is unusual in the volume of
postings and the disagreement about its propriety as a topic on the list, but
we make these decisions everyday. It is also hard to follow the list rules
and to know when something is acceptable or not; many postings are mixed in
content and serve different purposes.
I have changed my mind about my usage of this list over the past year
I have been participating in the list, and this makes the most sense to me.
I am certain others, such as, and primarily John C., disagree, and he is a
listowner, and he is the one who makes the final decision/s here. I think
we should continue posting, on any and every topic relevant and appropriate
to PD and PWP, being more careful about the labels on the postings, and see
if there is a change. The WTC is on a separate list and
jokes/limericks/other light material are on SPARKLE. I am willing to
accept/overlook infractions of the rules, and I would ask John C. to do so,
if there is a warning, if the posting is labelled appropriately: I am
convinced that something so small as carefully labelling the posting, and not
going on and on with the same label, will resolve a lot of these problems
about list content.
And, of course, we all know that list content is one of my favorite
topics. Maybe John C. should form a committee on list content, and put me
and other people on it. Just an idea kicking around the back of my brain at
this late-night hour. Katie
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