Governance etc

[Ali]

As some people may know, I'm really upset by this whole 
business. ""Where there is a problem, fix it, where there isn't, 
leave well alone", is a motto that I feel could be useful here.

Cindy, please can I remind you of your post 1753, telling new 
members how this list has worked:

<<<OK. This is the FAQ list. The only thing we do is handle 
the "Fantastic Posts and Where to Find Them." 

We don't have anything to do with the administration of the HPfGU 
lists. No, no, no. There is a whole separate list for that -- you 
know, sending howlers, assigning elves to new members, posting ADMIN 
announcements, determining list policy. Quite a number of the FAQ 
members are members of that other list (known as the "MEG" list -- 
for Moderators/Elves/Geists). So don't worry. You won't have to do 
any actual heavy lifting or anything. Everything we do is creative 
-- we're creating new FPs and updating the old ones.

We do, however, have our own system of governance -- anarchy. No 
one is in charge, and our active members all have moderator powers. 
Just don't, er, delete the list, OK? ;-) When someone has an idea 
or proposal, they just toss it out, and if a few people nod and no 
one objects, then we act on it.>>>

I feel like I'm a moving floor at the moment, everything keeps 
changing underneath my feet.

I do actually agree with you, that we *shouldn't* have new members 
without some sort of a discussion. *But*, given your above 
statement, if it is a representative of the way that we work, Amanda 
was perfectly ok to invite Michelle. She didn't delete the list 
afterall, did she? I don't understand how one minute you are asking 
Michelle for a bio, and the next minute she has been unsubbed. 
Whatever your misgivings about the way that Michelle was invited, 
that seems rather unfair on her.

I personally like the idea of project leaders to handle the FPs 
currently under discussion, but I don't see the need for anymore. I 
also don't think that the MEG list can be forced to accept a new 
member, just because *this* list wants it. In practice, it would 
probably be ok, but I am uncomfortable with the principle. 

Ali

(Whose husband has actually banned her from reading this list for 
the next few days).