Kieth wrote "...too much abuse, and not only of the list."
I was kicked off a Yahoo! Group today: RefrigeratorAlternatives
Maybe it was me. However, some shared my opinion that there were too much hostilities toward fellow members. Unlike this group, I found that going a little off topic earned you a nasty-gram from the moderator (who referred to it as "my group"). Since your getting the story from only one side, I'll stop there.
I've been a part of this list for a while so you have some experience about my opinions, my attitude and my writing style. Of course I've made mistakes, used strong language and debated aggressively. However, I don't think the moderator of RefrigeratorAlternatives truly has the interest of the group in mind.
I'm very disappointed. It looked like a great topic for an on-line discussion.
Is there anyone else who had a similar experience?
Mike
Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Thanks for the encouragement, Mike.
>Kieth,
>
>Earlier, you mentioned how companies like Monsanto try to infiltrate
>groups like ours. In addition I'm sure that there are many
>emotionally driven and misguided individuals like Tim who are acting
>on their own.
Yes, an endless trickle, Chinese water torture, LOL!
Sorry, I know it's not funny, I am sympathetic. "Everybody, soon or
late, sits down to a banquet of consequences," said Robert Louis
Stevenson, and I don't envy some of these people the feast that
awaits them. But it's not a workable sympathy, too much abuse, and
not only of the list. It's the garbageman people take to abusing when
the garbage happens to be them, and that's me, LOL! But if you don't
like bouncers then shape up and learn how to behave. Quite often it
works out that way too, I'm happy to say. Otherwise it's just a job,
it's not a matter of personalities, which I've said before, and it's
true, but these people will never believe that. What they want to
believe is their problem.
When I told Tim I wouldn't let him lead the list in another crazed
circular argument like he'd done before, he answered: "Oh, so is this
about list leadership?" Huh? Another guy who got abusive in this
thread told me I'm a control freak.
On the contrary, when we moved the list from Yahoo last year it was
less control I was after. Much of our thinking was in helping the
list to be a self-moderating community, which it kept trying to be
but it kept getting shot down because one or two simply had the wrong
attitude - regardless of their views, they didn't think of
communities, they thought of themselves. I posted a few messages
about this at the time. "The second Welcome message sent onlist is
from the administrators - rules, of a sort. The gist of it is that
the list is an online community, for sharing and mutual benefit, not
a shop where you can be demanding and the customer's always right.
Once you realize that it's all fairly obvious. If you come to a
mailing list via Yahoo though you might be more inclined to see it as
a shop - the wrong expectations, and another reason for leaving
there."
It worked well, it's much more a self-moderating community now.
>In the past, I've mentioned (rhetorically) that we have strength in
>solidarity. The fact that we can debate about the details but stay
>unanimous about almost everything else
There are so many different kinds of people here, from different
backgrounds, different places, different cultures. It's great!
Solidarity in diversity.
>shows extraordinary strength and fidelity for this type of forum and
>I think we stand a better chance than most in defending ourselves
>and this group from such kinds of sabotage.
I'm glad other list members think that too, so do I, but on the other
hand I don't want to be overconfident. The fakes at Bivings did a lot
of harm, they're not dumb.
>The Margolis article below is a great example of how this list is an
>extremely important conduit for getting the truth out to potentially
>millions of people. Many in this group have contributed in big ways
>and others are inspired to do the same.
>
>You have earned many titles Kieth.
Yes! Though you wouldn't want to hang all of them on your wall.
>One which I feel you've earned many times over is that of activist.
>Through this group and your work with JTF, you have directly
>effected the lives of thousands of people (myself included).
>
>...for what it's worth.
It's worth a lot to me Mike, many thanks.
Regards
Keith
>Mike
>
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