[HPforGrownups] ADMIN Re: Here's a very strange thought ...

[andeinmn at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 16491

In a message dated 4/9/01 8:33:21 AM Central Daylight Time, 
pennylin at swbell.net writes:

> Good morning everyone  --
>  
>  andeinmn at aol.com wrote:
>  
>  > Doreen, honey, there are good drivers in Minnesota.  But we're all
>  > from out of state!!
>  
>  Andrea -- not trying to pick on you, but this is the perfect example of
>  something that should only be posted to the OT-Chatter list.

Penny:

I am withdrawing from HP4GU.  No, this incident alone is not enough to make 
me pack my bags, but it's one of several things which are disturbing me.

I have been playing on lists for several years now.  I have made what I know 
will be lifelong friends through lists and have had a lot of fun.  I don't 
want to make anyone's job more difficult.  But.

I have a problem with a moderator who uses that status to perpetrate a hoax 
on the entire group.  Same day, same moderator barely acknowledges vicious 
ridiculing of member for her grammar.  Says play nice, but, heh-heh, she's 
always like that, now we get a cute little acronym.  To nitpick matters of 
fact from canon is one thing, but to ridicule another member over word 
selection is arrogant and unacceptable.  I lost a lot of respect for the 
moderators that day.

For all your 1100 members, this is a very cliquish, insular little group.  
It's difficult for a new member to get a toehold.  New members who do post 
are rarely acknowledged.  At least weekly there is one public deep sigh from 
an older member about how nice things were before "all those Salon people" 
came aboard, "oh, here we go again" when one of them is actually brave enough 
to post something.  These remarks go unchallenged.  I'm not saying this is 
the rudest group online.  That distinction, I'm sorry to say, belongs 
collectively to every list devoted to the works of Dorothy L. Sayers.  I love 
the weekly chapter and character discussions but if I am going to slog 
through 100+ messages a day, I don't want to have to be worried about 
minefields.

Penny, please understand I'm not singling you out.  I know first hand how 
difficult is it manage a group this large.  But I feel if less time was spent 
blowing whistles at intersections and more time spent making HP4GU a pleasant 
place for all to indulge their obsession, many of the problems would be 
minimized, if for no other reason than loyalty to those who work so hard to 
make this a wonderful place to play.

I wish you well with your new baby.

Sincerely,
Andrea Lawrence