ADMIN: We'd Like to Pick Your Brains About TBAY

[Risti]

In response to the points Shaun has made:

The idea of TBAY having a seperate list has crossed my mind, as 
well, to be honest.  Then I realized that to do so would be suicide 
to the Bay.  Let me try and explain.

You've said a couple of times now that you feel Theory Bay divides 
the list, and that the solution would be to create a subgroup for 
it.  I guess I just can't see how *dividing* the list further would 
make us more unified.

Theory Bay needs the main list.  If we were to go and seperate 
ourselves, it wouldn't be long until we died out completely.  It's 
actually quite rare that an entire TBAY discussion-at least one that 
lasts for more than a couple replies-will exist without some of the 
replies being out of the Bay.  As I've said before, anyone I've ever 
talked to in the Bay doesn't mind that.  You really expect it.  We 
might reply and find a way to put your comments back into the Bay, 
but we don't expect everyone to apparate into George's an order a 
drink before stating their opinion.  Some theories are born in the 
Bay, and later discussed in the 'regular way'.  Alot of theories are 
born out of perfectly 'normal' posts, that either the creator or a 
big fan wants to take a little further.

I suppose that in the end, the list doesn't *need* Theory Bay.  It 
could exist without us, which is one of the reasons why this topic 
is being discussed at all.  I think, however, and I know others 
agree with me, that Theory Bay adds something to the list, and it 
wouldn't be the same without it.  Theory Bay allows us to act out 
some of our inner silliness by showing just how crazy a certain 
theory has made us.  On a board with a younger membership, you might 
see alot of 'Well, as the President of the Draco is Cool Club, I'd 
like to say that I think this theory rox!  Wouldn't you agree Dracy-
poo?'  I may kick myself for using this analogy, but it's some of 
the same spirit to give yourself an active role in the defense of 
your favorite character that motivates people in Theory Bay.  You 
could cut out the Bay, but that enthusiasm would find another way to 
work its way into the list, and it may not be in intelligent, well 
thought out posts.

Finally, in the end, I think putting Theory Bay on a seperate list 
would just make things more confusing.  Imagine that a theory is 
suggested for just why Dumbledore likes candy.    It's discussed on 
the main list for awhile, when someone decides to give their 
impression of the theory in a Theory Bay post, on the seperate 
list.  So they mark it in reply to the original thread, and some 
discussion takes place in the Bay.  Meanwhile, discussion is still 
taking place on the main list, and the train of thought is 
completely divided.  A few people might try to cross reference the 
posts between the two lists.  A reference to the main list on the 
Theory Bay list probably wouldn't cause too many problems-most of 
that list is probably attempting to follow both discussions.  
However, what if someone comes up with the solution to the problem 
on the Theory Bay list, and writes a long, itricate post stating all 
the canon they have, and the reasoning for their theories.  If this 
was mentioned on the main list, everyone who didn't subscribe to 
both lists would be hopelessly lost.  The theory could be repeated 
in 'plain text' for the main list, but this ends up being twice as 
much work, and can get rather repetitive.  In the end, it would just 
be mass confusion.

Some people aren't going to understand some of the posts in Theory 
Bay.  Some people aren't going to understand some of the posts 
outside Theory Bay.  As I've said before, one of the best things 
about this list is that it gives you the opportunity to look at an 
outlook on the books you might not have considered on your own.  
Theory Bay is one of these outlooks.  To take it away from where it 
can be seen would defeat it's purpose.

There are Theory Bay posts out there that have gone off topic.  I 
won't deny you that.  Mainly because for the most part(although 
again, I was crazy enough to be an exception to this) people who 
post TBAY posts are off moderation.  This means that while the Elves 
may slap their wrists and send warnings and howlers off-list, they 
can't necessarily be stopped in the pending stage.  However, there 
are 'regular' posts that go off topic for the same reason.  As far 
as I'm aware, although I've never been sent a warning for going off 
topic, they are treated in the same way.  As they should be.

~Risti, who has just gone and seen that Amanda has posted many of 
these points, but is going to send this out anyhow for the value of 
what was not said, and an apology for repetition.