Amandageist is peeved (was Onlist complaints)

[Amanda]

As a poltergeist I will now say what I must say.

[Caveat: this is *not* aimed at the majority of the list, who appreciate the
time and energy the list adminstration puts in and the atmosphere it
creates.]

I am *not* responding to that long, rambling post that insulted anyone whose
name the poster could remember and a few she couldn't. Really. But I am
angry and some things must be said and it is the poltergeist's lot to call a
spade a spade. And I cannot aim my water balloons at the poster, she joined
under that identity merely to post her rant and then unsubscribed. The
coward.

This list is not a democracy. This list is a hobby list started by some
people who liked HP, to get to discuss things with people who liked HP too.

When you join a list like this, it's like joining a group at a party who are
talking about some topic. Generally you stand at the edges and listen to
what's going on, then chime in if something strikes you; or you can stand
and listen and enjoy the discussions, silently applauding when someone makes
your point. Quite often, once someone has spoken a couple of times on
something, they stand quiet and listen for a bit. The composition of the
group will change as some people get tired and go to bed, go for a beer,
move closer to certain discussions, move away from others, or stand on a
table and dance.

To make my point. Penny and the moderators own the house we're partying in.
They have certain legal obligations to the hosting service they must honor.
They pay the bills and water the plants and set out the onion dip. And they,
because they do the list maintenance--own the house--have *every* right, and
the *obligation,* to tell the list when we're getting too loud, or
obnoxious, or inflammatory. Don't start breaking the furniture. No feet
through the TV, please.

When someone joins the list, they don't get a vote as to how the list is
run. Because the mods are reasonable people, new opinions are listened to
and considered. But not when these opinions are pronounced by someone who
has effectively stood on the table in the middle of the group at the party
and interrupted everyone to tell them how the hosts are idiots and
controlling and small-minded, right there in the house that those hosts
provided for the discussion.

Many of the older listmembers don't post much now because, frankly, it's
hard to get worked up about something you've gotten worked up about many
times in the past. It becomes entertaining simply to stand there, drink in
hand, and listen to what others say. We're still here; we're either just
taking a break or real life has gotten a bit time-consuming.

The intricate structure of list-elves and mod duties that some feel is
oppressive was created so that the list can still be a friendly and
reasonably intelligent place, and still be open to new members. The
governance of a list of 3700-or-so is vastly different from the governance
of the 200 or so it was when I joined. Yet I can tell you that the "flavor"
of the list has not much changed, the caliber of the discussions has not
gone down, and this is to the immense credit of the mods and elves.

So.
If you don't like the rules on this list.
If you feel you're being oppressed.
If you think you're being gagged.
If you feel your right to free speech is being curtailed.
If you think Penny or John or any other mods or elves are intolerant.
Or if you're simply into stirring things up for the hell of it..

Don't let the door hit you in the butt. Start your own group, and I wish you
joy of it, if you have a no-holds-barred, no-parameters, anything-goes
approach to the posting. Maybe you'll gain enough maturity to appreciate
what these mods and elves do, giving up so much of their time to keep this
list a flame-free and enjoyable place.

--Amandageist