Forbearance and Purposes of this list

[Hillel Weintraub]

>Just wanted to say "Thank you!" to you all, as I have never, in all my
>years on the Internet, witnessed such forbearance from list participants
>regarding spurious postings. On most lists, a message from left field
>will often generate a series of replies to the list that merely serve to
>increase the problem rather than solve it. That you all allow me to deal
>with such matters "offline" is greatly appreciated by the 2,800
>participants of this discussion. Rest assured that when you see a strange
>message or a plea for help in getting off the list, I will take care of
>it. Thanks,
>Roy Tennant
>Web4Lib Owner

I'm not sure what Roy is referring to here - perhaps the various messages
asking for help in getting unsubscribed from the list or perhaps, though I
hope not,  the message from Rommel asking for help in getting on with his
life. The message from Rommel was of such a different nature from every
other message I've read during the past few months since I have joined this
list that it really shocked and shook me.
        I was really glad that there wasn't a sudden rush of messages about
the "appropriateness" or "inappropriateness" about this message and hope
that this isn't what Roy means that he had to "deal" with or referred to as
"spurious." I hate the word  "inappropriate", because it is seems to me to
be an attempt for a group with power to define what should be allowable by
those who somehow are disenfranchised. Though we could argue that any group
has the right to define themselves as they wish, and certainly needs to set
some boundaries for their own focus (and sanity), still I prefer that those
boundaries be flexible enough to hear anyone's voice, just as a teacher or
librarian might rather listen to someone breaking into his/her classroom
with a cry for help and not say, "Sorry, I'm teaching an important passage
on humanity now and have no time to listen to you."  (Or point to the large
"SILENCE" sign on the virtual wall somewhere?)

Anyway, I was hopeful that those who wanted to responded personally to
Rommel and, as Roy seemed to be, was glad to be a part of a list that
didn't make a big fuss about this.

Hillel


Hillel Weintraub, Director, Cooperative Design Center,
Doshisha International Jr/Sr High School
Tatara, Tanabe, Kyoto 610-03, Japan
Phone: 0774-65-8911; Fax: 0774-65-8990
school homepage at http://www.doshisha-intnl.tanabe.kyoto.jp
personal homepage at
http://el.www.media.mit.edu/groups/el/people/alumni/hillel/