No responses on the main list (Was: Wizarding Education )

[justcarol67]

> Well, I'm definitely no authority on the workings of
> the main list and I don't feel that I have the right
> to criticize or complain, but I do have a few
> thoughts. I joined only a few weeks back and I now
> have about 500 unread daily digests sitting in my
> newly expanded Yahoo inbox. The volume is part of what
> has me so behind, but also the feeling that I rather
> "missed the boat" - that the people on the list all
> know one another, are familiar with each other's
> personal theories, pet peeves, and interests and that
> I as a new member have nothing to add - or, at least,
> nothing that anyone will really care to read. <snip>

Carol responds:
I have a suggestion for the clogged inbox problem: Go off e-mail and
post from the site. (The List Elves will insist that you check
"Special Notices" rather than "No e-mail," but it's better than trying
to keep up with individual e-mails or Daily Digests.) Posting from the
site also enables you to use the Message Index to skip FILKs and SHIPs
(or whatever), as well as threads you're tired of (Vampire!Snape and
Wizard!Dudley, in my case).

Lanthiriel wrote:
> I think the idea of having two lists is a great one.
> One list for newer members who might be interested in
> rehashing the old theories that - even though they're
> adult fans - may be completely new to them. The second
> list could be for the more established members, those
> who have exhausted such topics and - after having made
> a certain number of posts or being nominated by a mod?
> - desire to join in different conversations. The idea
> of having a moderator very familiar with the
> discussions on the main list is also a very good one.
> That way new members could e-mail them, run a topic by
> them, and - if it were the vampire Snape theory, for
> instance - the moderator could advise them not to
> bring it up and perhaps where they could read about it
> in the archive.

Carol responds:
I agree--though I have to state that I would have been unhappy to have
been placed on a Newbie list when I first joined. Maybe members of the
Newbie list who had mastered the format and the FAQ and who habitually
used canon support could be "promoted" to the main list.

I wish I knew the answer. I just know that I'm tired of juvenile,
emotion-based posts and posters who don't or can't respond calmly and
logically to rational arguments. (Doesn't mean I intend to quit the
main list, though. When it's good, it's very good, and I haven't
encountered anything else quite like it.) Here's a thought--since
HPfGU is for grownups, maybe the List Elves could raise the minimum
age to thirty? I, for one, would feel more comfortable if the
complexion of the group were less acne-spotted, with an occasional
line in the forehead or some crow's feet around the eyes. You know.
Over forty. (Sorry. Kneasy's use of "complexion" brought that thought
to my mind and I couldn't resist.)
>
Lanthiriel wrote: 
> Just my thoughts, Lanthiriel - who thinks the
> "Fantastic Posts" page is also wonderful, but who
> still feels rather lost


Carol responds:
I agree that the "Fantastic Posts" page is wonderful, but too bad it's
not up to date. Any List Elves know whether an update to include OoP
is planned?

Carol