Amanda's finally lost it

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 23545

Okay. I'll probably get thrown off the list for this, but here goes. I'm
an oldie, and this is my first rant on this subject, and I know it's
probably come up before, but I'm saying it anyway. So there.

I think the policies of this list are just great. Anyone who has never
(a) taught a class in any form, (b) done a presentation, (c) been
married, or (d) had children will not appreciate how hard it is to keep
a civil tone sometimes. The image of a snowball down a hill comes to
mind; things just get out of hand. And this happens in a room where you
are looking at people and everyone gets to process the information at
the same time. Move it to cyberspace when people read and respond at
different times, when you hope the last word has been said, you even
request no more, then someone does a knee-jerk response before they read
your request and it starts all up again. So I like the list and I object
to anyone who suggests things in any sort of tone of fighting the
oppressors or other such nonsense. So sue me.

I also think the people are just great. The tone is wonderful. For me,
this is like a group of friends, some old, some new, who come with a
built-in common ground and who can now share other things. In the course
of postings on this list, and later after Chatter spun off, I've learned
new stuff about Latin, condom machines at the South Pole, teaching in
underprivileged schools, word derivations, and other cultures' cuisines
(like spotted dick is not something you take antibiotics for). Here are
people you can throw theories to, who throw theories back, who can
discuss and dissect the theory without dissecting the poster as well,
who laugh at each other, who laugh at themselves, and who love their
subject.

I am the first to admit that I've been misunderstood. I was appalled the
first time someone referred to me having "shredded them" (I believe was
the phrase). All of us try very hard NOT to hurt anyone's feelings. It's
just that some posters invest more of themselves in their discussions
than others. But I see no reason to "hit back first," to post something
on the list *expecting* to get hit or shredded or whatever your term of
choice. "Defense mode" is really generally uncalled for.

I am almost a L.O.O.N. by default--I will have been on this list for a
year come September 19--and before I got my job I was The High Poster
for rather a long time. I have never seen anyone's theory, or anyone,
deliberately attacked by any of the active, involved listmembers (I have
seen some people *think* they were, but if they had the sense to talk it
out, things cleared up).  I have never seen the administrators do
anything even remotely oppressive--with the exceptions of a few basic
guidelines, they are re-active, not pro-active, shifting from member to
Moderator status only when necessary (I think it must hurt, like
lycanthropy, so they don't like to do it much).

Okay, I know someone's going to disagree with me and I don't care and
you can say whatever you want, I'm going to post this anyway and it
doesn't matter to me if you all disagree because you probably all
stopped reading long ago, if you ever even started because you saw it
was from me and how long it was and nobody ever reads my stuff anyway
which *must* mean that you all hate me, right, or at least you think I'm
stupid or immature or deviant or something so why should I bother but I
am anyway because I have a *right* to post anything I think and nobody
can tell me not to or they're poop-heads and can't handle adult
discussions, and doesn't all this sound silly? So can we all stop this
sort of thing and get back to the Potterverse?

--Amanda, greyer by the day