On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, Baardwijk, J. van DTO/SLBD/BGM/SVM/SGM wrote:
> > For example, Asking Jo Anne Bird to send the Etiquette Guidelines to
> > the List is fair game. Just don't single someone out while doing it.
>
> When, do you think, do we ask Jo Anne to post the Etiquette Guidelines?
> Exactly, when someone (a specific person, or a few specific persons) is/are
> showing unwanted behaviour on this list. So, someone is always singled out
> when we ask for a re-posting of the Etiquette Guidelines.
Well, I think there's a definite difference between a post that says,
"I've noticed some excessive heat, so here are the guidelines as a
reminder," and a post that says, "You there! Follow the guidelines or get
out of the pool!" Emotionally, I think, the first has the force of a
general reminder, while the second has the force of a cop shouting
through a megaphone at some alleged ne'er-do-well. If the first can calm
things down, it's nice not to resort to the second. And IMO it does make
a big difference to the "tone" of the list.
> After all, when each and everyone of us is behaving according to the
> Guidelines, there is really no point in re-posting them, now is there?
The thing is, is that usually before somebody clearly breaks the tact
barrier, so to speak, you've got a lot of people skirting really closely
to it. As a first measure I like general reminders, rather than
person-specific ones, because usually in these situations there are
multiple people who need to take a deep breath and back off. The posting
of the guidelines then acts not just as a corrective measure, but also as
a kind of rhetorical prophylactic.
Marvin Long
Austin, Texas
Nuke the straight consumerist wildebeests for Buddha!
