Nick, you aren't the only one who has been online for twenty years. If you
have actually been around as long as you say, then you know that the
dance-tech list is far more topical than most of the mailing lists out
there. This is particularly remarkable since we've been in operation for
five years (no small amount of time for a list), and we have over 260
subscribers.
I apologized for sending out the internet legislation message not because
it wasn't topical, but because if I had been more awake at midnight last
Saturday I probably would have recognized it as incorrect information.
If you remember the arguments in December, then you know that I *do*
actively moderate the list. I try to be a moderator without being a
censor, however (as evidenced by the fact that I forwarded your insulting
message), and so it is not uncommon for me to approve something that I
would not personally have posted. I'm sorry if I haven't "tightened up the
mandate of the list" enough to suit you, but I'm quite happy with the
status quo, and it seem so be meeting the needs of most of the subscribers.
As for your threat to mailbomb the list by redirecting a news feed to the
dance-tech mailbox... I can't stop you from doing this, of course, and
I'll even dutifully read the first few messages before deleting them, but
I don't have a lot of time or patience for those sorts of childish games,
so I'll eventually just unsubscribe you from the list.
Respond if you must, but let's not drag this out. I'd much rather be
reading more messages about dance on film or the IDAT99 conference. I find
it ironic that your complaint about a single marginally topical message has
spawned far more noise on the list than we've had in months. You tell me
which message I should have censored :-).
Scott Sutherland
dance-tech administrator/moderator
>> Sorry Nick, but most people seem to disagree with you on this one.
>
>Did I miss the vote?
>
>> Of course we don't want the list deluged with political and other
>> local material, BUT it's very useful to keep our global perspective.
>> If nothing else, this helps to give us all a sense of changing and
>> emerging cultures within the countries and worlds of others.
>
>I didn't think that this list was intended to cater to those too lazy,
>too parochial or too stupid to watch the CNN or BBC News or subscribe
>to National Geographic. Just because something's important doesn't
>mean it's relevant.
>
>I've seen a lot of mailing lists come and go in 20 odd years of being
>on the ARPAnet/Internet, and every list goes through a phase where
>circumstances (usually a quickly-increasing readership, or lack of
>impetus from key members or moderators) bring about a marked dilution
>in relevance, topicality and quality of articles. When this stage is
>reached, one of two things happens: either the moderator steps in and
>tightens up the mandate of the list; or the list dies as key people
>leave.
>
>> ...and you can always just hit that delete button...
>
>The refrain of the spammer, I believe. The other thing I could do, and
>will do if the situation gets worse, is just unsubscribe. Or I could
>arrange for a PA newsfeed of important news (such as, say, the Kosovo
>crisis) to be piped directly to the list. After all, we need to keep
>our global perspective, and you can always hit delete.
>
>Would you like this?
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| Scott A. Sutherland <scott@herron.iupui.edu> |
| Technology Director, IUPUI Herron School of Art |
| Faculty Member, IUPUI New Media Department |
| |
| Arts & Technology, Photography |
| Multimedia Systems Development: HTML, JavaScript, Director |
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