[HANASHIR:1889] list philosophy

[Adrian A. Durlester <durleste...>]

Every once in a while, I get a message from someone who is leaving the list
because they have to wade through so many frivolous messages.

Today, I finally replied to once such person. And here is what I said:

-------------------

I'm sorry you feel the way you do. This is the nature of online
communities-they are communities. They are not intended to just be simple
business resources. While some lists moderate (and I manage several other
major lists, some of which are moderated) Hanashir is self-policing and
probably best left that way because it is as much a community of friends as
it is a resource. And it is the only place online where these subjects are
being discussed. The ACC lists and Jewish-Music have totally different
interests.

I would suggest that if you find you are wading through too many needless
messages, that you might need a better mail application that previews
message content before you open them, and has filters which you can use. The
efficiency of computer use comes not from just owning them, but from the
user making the effort to apply their power.

Also, I would ask: how many pieces of new music from Transcontinental and
other sources do you wade through to select the one or two you might
actually like and use? There is always more chaff than wheat.

----------------------

Hanashir will continue to be an un-moderated self-policing list. While I
don't want to encourage needless irrelevant postings, I do not want to lose
our sense of community. If a discussion strays too much, I will gently try
and steer it off the list. But I enjoy the witty repartee and I trust most
of our subscribers do as well.

Your thoughts, fellow travelers?

Adrian

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Adrian A. Durlester  -  durleste (at) home(dot)com
http://members.home.net/durleste/
Student, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
http://divinity.lib.vanderbilt.edu/vds/vds-home.htm
Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
http://www.micahnash.org/
Home phone (615) 646-9788
Nextel cel-phone (615) 207-2661
You can page me from http://www.nextel.com
List-Owner for hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Co-Owner for L-Torah (at) 
shamash(dot)org
http://uahc.org/hanashir
Editor, Bim Bam (for Torah Aura Productions)
http://www.torahaura.com/
Evening Program Chair, CAJE 23 - San Antonio TX, Aug 9-13, 1998
http://www.caje.org
Alternate Email: aad (at) iname(dot)com  adriand (at) aol(dot)com