Main List Problems

[Wendy]

Lorrie wrote:


> Okay, we all know the Main List is having problems, and as a 
relative
> newbie (but someone who hasn't been on Moderated Status for a long
> time), and someone who joined Pre-OotP, let's face facts.
> It's not really that people haven't read the FAQ, it's that 
they're so
> excited. I nearly went nuts reading all the 'laws of the group' 
before
> I even thought of posting....guess what. I *don't * really 
remember a
> single word of them. They didn't call it the BHF for nothing. It 
was
> BIG, it was Humungous, and it was Filed...right back in the grey
> matter with what happened in Second Grade :)

Now me (Wendy):

Well, I have just a couple of things I yet want to add to this 
discussion, and this seemed a good place to start, as I particularly 
want to address this comment, as, (in my also not-so-humble 
opinion), you've put your finger on the button.

People aren't reading/following the posting guidelines.

But I very strongly disagree with your attitude that this is okay, 
somehow, and to be expected because the document is "too" long, and 
so of course all of us have filed the information back with info 
from second grade.

When I joined this group, it was very clear to me that the group was 
serious about these rules. I read them carefully, and for a year and 
a half have done my best to follow them. I've made mistakes - but 
never because I didn't KNOW the rules. My mistakes were 
carelessness - forgetting to snip, or forgetting to change the 
address of a post I meant to send privately, whatever. It is not 
impossible to have a good working knowledge of the material in the 
posting guidelines. I have. And I'm certainly not the only one. A 
few months ago, it seemed to me as though the vast majority of 
listees had this knowledge, and we were each doing our best to 
follow the rules.

Let's face facts: the group has rules. When each of us joined, we 
were made aware of these rules. When did that change? Just because 
someone is new and "enthusiastic" doesn't mean they should be held 
to a lower standard than the rest of us. Sorry to rant at you like 
this (I know you aren't the only one who feels this way), but I'm 
just not sure that membership is this group should be a "right" of 
anyone who wants to sign up. I always felt it was more of 
a "privelege." That's the point of being on moderated status, after 
all. You have to prove that you can follow the rules in order to be 
given the privelege of unmoderated status. Now, it seems to me that 
there are more than a few people posting to the list who really 
haven't earned this privelege, because they simply aren't following 
the rules. Laziness, enthusiasm, can't be bothered to learn the 
rules - doesn't matter. There is no excuse for this, because it 
shows a lack of respect for the rest of us when they behave this way.

It seeems to me that it's a problem of list volume-to-elves ratio 
here. Moderation just isn't working the way it used too because 
there are so many messages. But I resent the implication that those 
of us who've been doing our best (and reading, trying to remember, 
and following the guidelines) should now be subjected to reams of 
posts from people who refuse to do these things.

I'm not saying "newbies" here. I'm talking about rule-breakers. And 
I don't feel that someone who isn't willing to follow the rules has 
some sort of "right" to post here. 

I'm finding myself really angry about this, so it probably sounds 
harsh. Maybe I am taking this too seriously. But, on reading it 
through a second time, I realise that I really do mean what I'm 
saying, so to tone it down would seem a bit ingenuous of me.

Okay - just a couple more quick things . . . 

I think it was Abigail who suggested we post, post, post:

I have been. And some of my posts have gotten a fair response. But 
there have been others that have received no response whatsoever. 
Not little throw-away comments, either. Posts that I've taken a 
great deal of time to write (and follow all list rules in doing so). 
Then, nothing. Okay. Maybe my comments were just stupid or boring. 
Or maybe I'm just so brilliant that there was nothing left to say 
<g>. But it's still a bummer. If the list volume is so high that 
things I've worked hard to write are going unread, that's not a good 
use of my time and effort. And I've been guilty of the other side of 
this - I've read some excellent posts, and thought - wow, I should 
offline this person. And then didn't, figuring someone else would. 
Maybe that just hasn't been the case. In my favour, I have sent a 
LOT of offline comments. Just not all the ones I felt moved to send.

So what's to be done? I love the idea of having newcomers to the 
group have a period of time in which they can only read posts 
without replying. A week or two. Just to get the gist of both the 
tone of discussions here, the proper way to go about formatting and 
posting messages, and also an idea of what actual topics have been 
discussed. 

But that's not really going to address the situation now, as it 
hardly seems fair to put people who've already joined onto this sort 
of probation. So, I think the mods just need to really crack down on 
violations, reject posts that are improper, and put repeat offenders 
back on moderated status. I feel a bit guilty saying this, as none 
of the work would fall to me. I'm not a mod. Then again, I've never 
been asked to become one (I'd have been willing), nor have I ever 
seen mentioned anywhere the process for becoming one. 

Okay. I think that's about all I have. Thank heavens, you're all 
thinking! <G> I don't intend to leave the list forever, but as I 
mentioned earlier, I am going to take a brief web-view break. It's 
rather liberating to wake up in the morning and not find 123 posts 
in my inbox waiting to be dealt with. 

(Guess I lied in my post to you, Saitana, didn't I?) <G>

Wendy