Guidelines for Appropriate List Behavior

[Roy Tennant]

After having a number of Web4Lib subscribers beg me to step in on the
filtering thread, I've decided to say a few words about this forum (NOT
the filtering question itself; the irony of requests to filter the
filtering discussion has not completely escaped me).

I like free-ranging debate. Like a few of our founding fathers and
mothers, I believe that only by allowing *all* speech can a free people
decide for themselves what to believe. That is why I am extremely
reluctant to do anything to administratively stifle/filter/limit
participation so long as that participation abides by the Web4Lib Posting
Policy.

Having said that, I realize that such a policy relies upon people to
participate in a reasonable manner. Since we don't all seem to be on the
same page in that regard, I thought I would share my thoughts on what I
think is appropriate behavior for civil list participation. These are 
also now available at the Web4Lib Web site (where, as you may recall, you 
will also find all the possible list commands, a browseable and 
searchable archive, etc.):

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/


Guidelines for Appropriate List Behavior
----------------------------------------
* Post infrequently. There are over 3,300 subscribers to this list. Think
about it. What if we were all *remotely* as active as the top dozen
participants (on any topic).
* Say something substantial. *All* postings to this list should
contribute significantly to the discussion. Simply saying "I agree" (in 
so many words) or "I disagree" (in so many words) does not meet this 
guideline.
* Say something new. Mere redundancy will not convince an opponent of 
their error. Explaining the same argument differently in an attempt to 
make them see the light has not been proven to be an effective strategy.
* "Getting the last word" is for children. We're all beyond the age when
we should be concerned with being the one to end the argument. Just
because you are the last to speak doesn't mean you won the argument.
* Agree to disagree. The likelihood of convincing someone to change a
strongly held opinion is nil. State your case, but give up on the idea of
converting the heathen.
* Take "conversations" off the list. When list interaction
becomes two-sided (two individuals trading comments or arguments) it is a
sign that you should take the discussion off the list and correspond
with that person directly. If the discussion was of interest to the
general membership you will see others posting on the topic as well.
* Remember that you are being judged by the quality of your
contributions. No matter whether you are employed or not, or a certain
age, or have a certain education, you can create a good professional
reputation by how you contribute to a large electronic discussion like
Web4Lib. On the other hand, you can ruin your reputation even faster and
easier.
* Take your time. If you expect busy people to take time out of their day
to read and be impressed with your posting, then take the time to phrase it
well and spell correctly.
* NEVER send email in anger. Go ahead and compose a message in anger,
since that may help you work through what you're angry about, but don't
send it. Sleep on it. You will nearly always decide to not send it or to 
recompose it. There's a reason for that. 
* Be civil. Treat others how you wish to be treated. No matter how 
insulting someone is to you, you will always look better to the 
bystanders (of which there are many, I hasten to remind you) by 
responding politely. 
* Respect the rights of others. An electronic discussion is a 
commons. Your right to post ends at the right of others to not be 
insulted, badgered, or to have their time needlessly wasted. 

There. Now let's get on with it.
Roy Tennant
Web4Lib Owner