Safe Place to Vent

[a_reader2003]

--- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, "a_silmariel" 
<silmariel at t...> wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith
> <arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> > 
> > On 13 Jul 2004, at 17:55, annemehr wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > I'm thinking it right now...
> > >
> > >  Anne
> > 

> 
> > 
> > I fear that the site membership is splitting and that there'll 
be  
> > break-away groups forming. Sad, but probably inevitable. If it
> happens, for God's sake  don't leave me with this lot! I'd prefer 
> merciful oblivion.
> > 
> > Barry
> 

> 
> I consider myself a newbie (though you categorized me in the 'naive
> theoriser's section' in a recent post) but as things are now on 
list,
>  I appear to be brilliant in comparison. 
> 
> Carolina


Well, I've said it before, I think I'd have drifted away until book 6 
if it wasn't for this project. If Dicey hadn't stepped in on Friday, 
for instance, and pulled them up short on the gay thread, I think I'd 
have sent out some pretty nasty stuff .. talk about juvenile, narrow-
minded, plain stupid, dull etc..and, of course, not discussing canon 
in any useful way.

On the other hand, it is instructive reading through these old posts 
and seeing exactly the same arguments rehearsed on many topics. The 
difficulty is that you have to trade off a smaller group of people 
getting to know each other, discussing things, then running out of 
inspiration, vs the new ideas that flow in from a bigger group with 
lots of new members.

The approach that I think might work to improve quality is some way 
of enforcing new members to either not post for a few months 
initially, or read up a lot before they do. For instance, I think the 
Hogs Head's attitude is quite good - anyone can read, but only 
relatively few are members and can post. New HPfGU members could be 
made to just read the group for a bit in the same way. And, of 
course, this catalogue could be a vital part of their education.

And on the subversive readings..clambers on to soap box.. really, can 
you begin to think about how the catalogued posts might be presented? 
Take delicious Snape, think of provocative headings to group his 
posts under. I can't begin to describe my glee when I first read 
through 'Hypothetic Alley'. I just buried myself in the site for 
weeks on end, following through the links. I guess what this 
catalogue does is bring that up to date on a massive scale, but its 
all in the presentation..

And Arrowsmith, don't you dare go off to another group without 
telling us where you are going. You know perfectly well you are, yet 
again, in line for the annual Witch Weekly's Peeves award for 
Mischief Managed. And I have heard rumour that you are being 
considered for Chief Mugwump..(well, lets face it, you can't do worse 
than Dumbledore).

Carolyn