List mail

[Jo]

>List:
>Think we could all go away and leave ole Charles with this list? Anyone have
>a constructive suggestion about how to stop this drivel?
>Jim Taylor

======Not to pick on Charles or anyone else flamed/flaming of late, but
since we are dealing with human nature, you've got to know that no mailing
list is immune to occasional off-topic or irritating posts.  A few days ago
my interest was captured by a post about butterflies knowing their body
parts so I answered--a silly post that made me blush in retrospect.

Owning and operating an email list for years by myself, I've had to deal
directly with posters that other members complain about.  My list
guidelines spell out that flamers/troublemakers will first be warned, then
dropped if they persist and I've rarely had to bounce anybody because few
people are really so bad.  With more experience, I tend to give people the
benefit of the doubt, resisting the natural tendency to get on the
bandwagon with angry members, resisting the easy way out to judge from afar
and "blot out" the problem through deletion, but practicing mediation
instead.

Bottom line is that people aren't going to control other people.  Not even
smart to try.  Fuming at each other only encourages us to post for revenge,
one-upmanship, or redemption.  Ignore what offends you rather than add to
list noise by fussing; or pick out a relevant point and expand on it to the
exclusion of the rest.  The best choices are to either accept it since
nothing can ever be controlled to our liking, or choose a list moderator to
deal privately, fast and fairly with members who consistently post
off-topic.

Jo




Jo Angleberger
W.I.N.E. Administrator
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/nww/nww.html

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.
(Italo Calvino)