<<my two cents' worth:
<<i understand that the influx of individual messages
might be a tad intimidating to some new list-members
who may be brand new 'netizens' as well,
although they can't be that 'green' to the internet
if they are computer-savvy-enough
to be able to subscribe
to a mailing list
<<however,
i also understand that most 'pointers' out there describing our list
also make another point of describing the e-mail volume
so theoretically
the volume on the list should not be a surprise
<<some people prefer the individual message format to the digest format
because they find it easier to reply to
<<some people use the filter options on their e-mail program
<<some people use their delete key liberally
<<to each our own
<<i cannot see the volume as a 'problem'
whether there are 30 messages in one day or in one hour
whether they are all about pd or not
whether they are all about snake oil or not
<<they reflect the living breathing organism
which is this cyber-family
<<we are not a corporation bound by company rulebooks and standards
we are not a school bound by a curriculum and exams
<<we are part of a new frontier of democracy
where each one of us has
the same opportunity to be heard as everyone else
and
the same right to speak as everyone else
<<personally
i find it awe-inspiring just as it is>>
Janet,
Your remarks show that you want the list to be want you want it to be
be rather than what it is. The list, and the behavior of the posters to the
list, are governed by the Charter. The Charter is an agreement between the
listowners, Barbara P and John C, and the University of Toronto. As list
members we agree to be bound by the Charter. Apart from the written dictates
of the Charter, the list, since last March, has been plagued by the imminent
threat of the withdrawal of computer services from the U of T. A critical
point with the U of T is the volume of postings, and the number of list
members.
None of this is new. I have had several postings in the past where I
explained to the list members the need IMO to be careful about posting, at
least until the issue of the provision of computer services by the U of T is
resolved. John C. had a posting (in June?) where he attempted to formulate a
plan to decrease the number of list members. Now Barbara P has reiterated
these concerns and mandated rules re: postings in her 7/13/02 posting,
labelled "Inappropriate Postings." THE LIST OWNER HAS SPOKEN. THESE ARE
OUR RULES. We can hope that the list were different, and that we could say
or post what we want, but that simply is not reality. I don't think that
adherence to the Charter will take away any special special flavor of this
"cyber-family." This list developed under the Charter, and the list can
continue operating as it is under the Charter even with added restrictions
from the U of T. The problem is, of course, that if we don't follow the
rules, the U of T has justification for withdrawing its computer services.
Katie from Green Bay
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