Kinema Club Threads & Jackasses

[Aaron Gerow]

Stephen offered some provocative if not helpful suggestions:

>As someone who joined the KineJapan mailing list quite late, I'd appreciate 
>some means of accessing previously posted introductions, perhaps as a list 
>command.  

Making an archive of introductions is a good idea, and one I've been 
tempted to do at least with my own "archive" of KineJapan mail.  Having 
the list server do it automatically, however, will probably take some 
doing.

While Markus is working on the selected threads bit, Maureen and her 
people are working on an online archive for the list.  THis may take a 
long time to realize since it is a huge operation, but I think all of us 
can agree that that will be the best way to keep all of KineJapan 
accessable.  KineJapan, after all, is an electronic publication (with 
content that, if I might say so, beats much of what is printed on 
Japanese film outside of Japan).

>Rather than transforming the list into a moderated forum - which I 
>think is a horrendous idea - perhaps sufficient decorum can be maintained if 
>we were all less anonymous.  If after a couple of weeks of joining someone 
>hasn't introduced themselves, kick them off.

I don't think we have to go that far: I can understand that there are 
many people who aren't extroverted enough (or whatever reason) to make 
their presence known, or who are uncomforable with the apparent 
English-language dominance.  Many just like to find out what others are 
saying without necessarily feeling the urge or the competence to comment 
on their own.  I think those kinds of participation are fine.

But I do agree with Stephen's feeling that people should at least try to 
introduce themselves.  Even if you are never going to send another 
message, many would like to know who the "audience" is for KineJapan.  

I should also mention with regard to the anonymity issue that one reason 
I list the KineJapan membership every so often, beyond hoping it can 
serve as a contact list, is to make this a forum where we all know each 
other.  That not only makes it cosier, it also makes people more 
conscious that this is a little society we have here and that this 
society demands a level of decorum to continue.

>I'd actually go as far as having a questionnaire for each member to fill in 
>soon after joining with their "real world" mailing address, specialised 
>interests, etc.  (No need for age, curriculum vitae or blood type.)  

This is something I have thought about in the past.  Other lists (like 
H-JAPAN) have similar questionnaires, though the list owners keep the 
answers without sending them to the list. What do people think of this 
suggestion?

Finally, I do want to say that I agree with Stephen's preference for 
"color."  In maintaining decorum, I don't think we have to all become 
Miss Manners.  Yes, Stephen, gossip is fine, as long as it's based on 
truth and not slanderous.  There are limits, however.  Personal attacks 
on members are out of the question.  If any of you have ever been a 
member of DFS (Dead Fukuzawa Society), you can see how annoying personal 
attacks can be in what is otherwise a high-level forum.  So far, 
KineJapan has been pretty good and I have not been stepping in that 
often.  Even when I am not at conferences, I do not stop any mail and so 
far I have only given out 3 or 4 warnings in the two years the list has 
been in existence.  But as Maureen said in a message to Markus and me, it 
can only take one really rotten apple to mess up an entire list.  So 
let's all be careful!

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
KineJapan list owner
For list commands: send "information kinejapan" to 
listserver at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Kinema Club: http://pears.lib.ohio-state.edu/Markus/Welcome.html