[sumo] FW: Tide Turns on Sumo Mailing List[off-topic]

[Chuck Finberg]

Greetings, all!  I am just back from a quick NYC trip to do a little work, see long lost friends from Alaska, and Spamalot!  Have just read this whole thread at one sitting.  
   
  This series of messages has been very interesting, and to be honest very encouraging and uplifting, to me.
   
  I have strong opinions about each of the topics....about Emmett personally (although I've never met him), about the situation in Iraq, about Emmett's posting of "Off Topic" messages, about the substance of his comments, about the substance and tone of the responses, and about the several clever ways in which people tried to respond, divert, or end the series of posts.
   
  But, you won't learn any of my substantive opinions here.
   
  What I think is worth saying about the thread is:
   
  It is a triumph of the marketplace of ideas.  Forget the substance.  Consider the process.
   
  We have just gone through a series of posts including some which are off topic, others political, or crude, personally insulting, silly, logically persuasive, emotionally compelling, illogical.  We disagree on many things -- pertinent things, procedural things, globally significant things.
   
  Something always seems to happen to break the hush before each basho, only this time it's perhaps more of a thing than some previous ones.  
   
  But, here we are again.  And here we are, still.
   
  Our world is full of problems.  Famine, disease, brutal hostilities, oppression, and worse.  Environmental depradation, disrespect of other forms of life, ignorance, and Paris Hilton.
   
  But there are also wonderful, miraculous, timeless things.  Children, givng, the eyes of a friend, a spring breeze, Eddie Izzard on squirrels with makeup, those whom you love, Indian sculpture, chocolate, tulip bulbs, Blake's Jerusalem, and nearly everything else.
   
  I think we've emerged from this particular tunnel, and this list and all of its members look pretty good to me.  I am very glad, even proud, to be a member.  I appreciate what every one of you has to say (except for you know who), and I especially enjoy the thoughts of all of you lurkers!
   
  Now, let the wild basho start!
  

Jimmy <greengourd at gmail.com> wrote:
  IMHO, this is a poor idea. In the years I've been a member of this
List, I can count one one hand the number of posts that "might've"
been improper. Switching to a moderated list would be solving a
problem that doesn't exist—at quite a cost (of time and energy) to Joe
*and* to the sweet spirit that nearly always guides this list.

Your mileage may vary, of course,

Squashiki

On 5/5/07, Barbara wrote:
> I strongly disagree. An incident like this is a perfect example of the
> failings of an unmoderated mailing list. Spam, whether commercial, or
> political, or unintentionally misplaced messages, can murder a mailing
> list faster than you can say BS.
>
> I've been moderating and running mailing lists for 20 years and have
> seen it all. The message in question should never have gotten to the
> list. Look at what it did. It spawned 20 more messages of useless
> content, upset some, made others defensive, and left a bad smell in the air.
>
> I suggest the owner of the list change it to a fully moderated one, and
> squash off topic messages without mercy. This is NOT a chat room. We
> don't need to debate how offended or not we are when an off topic
> message comes through. We should only be discussing sumo.
>
> Barbara Murasakihana

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