Les, the main benefit of your "lurking" is that when you DO step up, it gets attention. Especially when you make some of these kind of statements.
I've been pretty vocal about the "suckiness" of the list lately, and moved to J-only a month or so ago, which I've really enjoyed. The reason I've complained is not just to be a whiner, but because I care very deeply about this community. That being said, I'll offer a couple of suggestions: I'm not in favor of dictating content. I've been on other lists where it's done and people become gun-shy about posting. BUT it can be very dangerous in an e-mail forum when you get SO many people who feel like THEY have to have the last word, obviously the conversation/argument NEVER ends which is what we've seen with this Iraq thread. So, with that in mind, people need to learn how to state their case and LET IT GO. If someone counters with a dissenting opinion, so be it. Additionally, if a topic becomes dominated by 2 or 3 people, take it offlist. Obviously, if no one else is chiming in, no one else is interested. Keep in mind that many of us do get a newspaper, newsmagazine, watch the news on TV, and talk current events with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. For this community to remain special & unique, there should be discussions that do it justice. DON'T LET THE MEDIA CONTROL WHAT YOU THINK & TALK ABOUT!!! I'm not really crazy about totally banal conversations (pets, food, the weather, etc) BUT they do give an opportunity for folks who don't post often to chime in. And they typically play out quickly. Birthday posts...it's great that birthdays are acknowledged here, and adds to the "family" feel. If you want to add a birthday wish to Wally or Jimmy's original greeting, consider doing it privately. That way, the happy birthday boy/girl/other still gets their greeting, and the rest of us don't have to wade through 20 "Happy Birthday" posts. ULTIMATELY: When in doubt, think about the "welcome" message that Les sent us all when we joined. (Les, maybe this is worth re-posting.) Anyway, I'm rambling. I guess we all come here for different reasons, and that's cool. It creates the diversity that makes this group special. But it's naive & foolish to think that doing nothing is going to help the situation. Bob NP: Kansas, "The Wall"
