I take the privilege of a newbie, and that to comment without knowledge of the participants. Fifteen years of running email lists, since before the "web".
To all of you on this thread I say that the vituperation that is off topic (the topic being the nature of the lute and the nature of the music, and the enjoyment of the music) is cluttering my email, and that of the rest of this list. Ariel, MO, Roman and others are arguing matters of copyright and the publications of various people. The writer, or editor, of a book can say anything he wants to say. Just because it is in print doesn't mean it is right. These issues should only be relevant if they are promoting their product to naive lutenists on this list, and then the issue should be a personal argument off list. If this were to happen on one of the lists I run (unmoderated) I would write an email to each of the parties off list and ask them to stick to the topic of general interest. And I thought I'd be anathema by sticking to my guns on the "lute" that isn't traditional, I guess I was wrong (and I thank those who have informed me well). There is a matter of good manners, and that doesn't only involve the treatment of one's particular correspondant, it also involves the involvement of an entire list in an internecine war. It is not a matter of censorship, which can't and shouldn't be done on an open listserv. It is a matter of self control, and keeping the argument from becoming an "op ed" column on the list. I intentionally don't speak to the issue at hand. Best, Jon
