> I have to say that I AM AWFULLY
> DISAPPOINTED with adult conduct on the list-managers list. I think I will
> be signing off this list. It is now crystally clear that I WON'T learn
> anything here and will be forced to put up with all sorts of abusive
> language.
I would respectfully recommend you stick with it a while longer. Like
most lists populated by strong willed people with significant expertise in
the subject, we get very opinionated from time to time. Then it all blows
over and we go back to being more focused and friendly and less volatile.
In fact, I think this may be good training for nascent list managers, because
almost no matter what it pertains to, YOUR list will have similar blowups,
and one of the policies you need to decide NOW is when your particular
threshhold has been reached. How you codify that in your list guidelines
and what you do when things do get hot is a topic worthy of discussion here.
I call it 'moderation by intimidation', the power of the list manager is
quite great, if exercised properly. I've lost track of the number of
people who have gotten WAY out of line on my lists and were cajoled or
threatened (generally in private, but the occasional public rebuke can
do wonders too) who then saw the wisdom of my ways and went on to be
highly valued list members.
In closing, I will disagree with Ron forever regarding his views in this
particular area, which to me is little more than the end justifying the
means, as long as the trains run on time, but I respect his knowledge
and expertise in general, and the areas in which he has made a significant
online contribution would be so long as to seem exaggerated. (And in fact
earlier today I wrote him a private e-mail asking him a question arising
from a separate ongoing thread.)
--
Mike Nolan
