Reasonable expectations

[kkersey_austin]

(Betsy, if you don't mind, would you elaborate on how you, personally,
would participate if your suggestion to close the list to HPB
discussion for a week were taken up? That seems to me to be a short
step from closing the list entirely for that week. I'm just wondering
what kinds of discussions would still be allowed, and who would be
reading them.)

I do understand that many people do not want to be informed of
critical plot developments before they have had a chance to read the
book themselves. Actually, you can count me in on that group! BUT,
once I *have* read the book, I would like to have a place where I can
encounter thoughtful, informed discussion - about the book I have just
read and am excited about. Isn't that what the HPfGU list is *for*? 

It's entirely appropriate to close the list for a short period of time
to give the moderators a chance to read the book themselves and take a
breath before the deluge. But once the canon is officially out, it
should be fair game for discussion. IMHO, of course. :-)

Those who don't want to be subjected to spoilers have a wide range of
tools and options with which they can protect themselves:  emails can
be automatically sorted into folders - and not looked at until the
book is read; the group web page can be avoided; list delivery options
can set to no mail, and so on. There is plenty of time to inform list
subscribers of these options before July 16.

This afternoon, after I wrote my earlier post, I started thinking
about reasonable expectations. For instance, when I go to one of my
favorite restaurants, which happens to be a BBQ place, I have the
reasonable expectation that I will encounter meat. Now, I am a
vegetarian, and this being Austin, there happen to be - on top of the
usual - some really good vegetarian options on the menu. But it is a
BBQ, so when I go there, I don't expect to not see anyone eating meat.
I have a friend who will not eat there because she *is* bothered by
the smells of meat cooking, and seeing platters of BBQ ribs, and so
on. So, she just doesn't go there.

My point is, I think it is a *reasonable expectation* that after July
16 there will be discussions of HBP on a Harry Potter email discussion
list. Those who haven't read the book yet, whether by choice or
hardship, have options for avoiding putting themselves at risk of
exposure to information they don't want to hear - options that do not
in any way affect others on the list. 

On the other hand, the "spoiler" tags that have been used in
discussions of, for instance, Ender's Game on the OT list, are
entirely appropriate and considerate. It's a HP list, not an Orson
Scott Card list, so it's reasonable to assume that there are people on
the list who have not read Ender's Game but who might not want to be
ambushed by a spoiler regarding its ending.

Once again, I'm most eager to hear from those who plan on
participating on the main list between July 16 and the time they have
finished HBP - what kinds of discussion they are hoping to see, and
how those will be of interest to the group as a whole. I for one am
willing to have my mind changed by a good argument. Meanwhile, I see
RAYOR to be clearly the simplest, most fair option.

Karen, again