Re: Mailing List Quality (Was: Certainty, Experiments & Facts)

From: QueeneMUSE@aol.com
Date: Mon Sep 30 1996 - 15:18:40 MDT


Robin Hanson writes : ( in response to questions of "minority views" being
allowed in the list)

>>I'm open to suggestions though.

[I see that people who were on the list before it was open are concerned with
keeping this forum's value, and, being new, I repsect that wish, also,being
new, I wonder if I have in anyway contributed to the lack of quality...
however I cannot know because the comments about "junk" are generalized, no
one has said who posts the "junk" or what catagorical "junk" is specifically,
as opposed to quality.
     The process which is being suggested is removed from anything I would be
able to participate in ( being a new person, who joined after the list opened
up). Please accept my comments in that observational, suggestive, uninvolved
light. ]
***
         I have been thinking about the original post about a senior member
group that juries our most recent posts and decides who can post and
suggestions of a second list for the inferior.
I think that perhaps Max opening up the list ( which will certainly attract
more and more new and diverse and unknown people) may at *first* have the
effect of disturbing the original quality earlier flow of ideas.
Perhaps one will find that as people stay or dont-or learn and become more
articulate and knowledgeable - we may find the list getting back to it's
original quality without a committee...
: )

Self ownership.
I am not sure that limiting *who* is on would be better than addressing the
*content* of what is written , directly , specifically and at the time of
posting.

I will certainly do my best not to write "junk." I APOLOGIZE IF I HAVE, BUT
NO ONE HAS TOLD ME, AND SO I WOULDNT BE PRONE TO CORRECT IT IF SO.

I suggest that people who are aware of what "high quality " is might take
responsibility to make it known to those who aren't pleasing you, telling
them when and where this "junk" occurs, at the time, and instead of forming a
censorship bureau. This could could be done politely and internally, by
posting a private email or by speaking up directly onto the list.

It might take some time and effort, but not nearly as much as reading every
single member's last five posts and making the difficult group decision who
can and can't participate in the forum.

Spontaneous Order.
 I would hate to see a ruling collective of the Extropian list....

( For one thing, It s not exactly like there are millions and millions of
Extropians( YET), and two simultaneuos ( one "those of good quality" , one
for the "post challenged" ) lists seems a bit hard to imagine. And who would
want to be on the inferior list? )
This is just my HO, i am not into discussing how to control others.
I am here to learn and grow and hope to contribute to an Extropian future. I
have also dropped off the transhuman list, partly because of white noise,
rudeness and squabbling, but mostly to reclaim the useful time required to
read it.
I have opted to stay on this one so far.

Sigh.....of course the list will do whatever seems right, if it becomes
subject to a committee, and/or divides into two lists, I will voluntarily
withdraw, because I cannot imagine myself wanting to participate in either
list.
Cheers. : )
 Nadia



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