RE: Lurkers afraid of flames?

[Jim Sharkey]

>Let me use this as an opportunity. As one of the top ten big mouths
>on the list, I've always wondered about people who read the list but
>don't post.

Hrm. Well, Dan, I can give you a semi-lurker's perspective on that, at least.

For me, it seems that there are about two handfuls of people on the llist that simply make it their business to be extremely well-informed about whatever events are being discussed. No one likes to go to a gunfight wielding a knife, so many people whose readings are not as extensive may stay out of many of the arguments because they don't wish to have "the smacketh" laid down upon their opinions.

The truth is, this can be an unsettlingly intimidating group of polymaths, to use someone else's term (who I can't recall). Also, the arguments can get more than a bit acrimonious, particularly with passionate, opinionated folks that *LOVE* to argue, like Jeroen, John, Gautam, and a few others. Who wants to get involved in *that* kind of crossfire? I personally don't need that kind of aggravation from a mailing list.

Finally, when someone whose name is not familiar pipes in, as often as not, he's ignored by the principles in whatever argument it happens to be. From personal experience, I've found that unless one of the aforementioned folks takes part in a discussion, it sort of peters off. Look at the recent censorship thread. If the semantics of what constitutes "censorship" had attracted one of our more vociferous posters, it would still rage. Instead, it sort of trailed off because the folks discussing it didn't want to beat their points to death.

By the by, since Reggie wants the opinions of folks not in the "Brin-L Top Ten" on the whole Jeroen/JDG thing, I'm going to break my personal policy of neutrality and give it, and I fear this may go against the principles of the list, but you asked . . . both JDG and Jeroen need to get a hold of themselves.

They're both smart, decent guys, but they can both get so blinded by the antipathy they seem to have for each other that it makes everyone else uncomfortable. John digs his heels in against things that question his country, his conservatism, and his faith, and doesn't want to consider other POV's and wonders why everyone disagrees with him, while Jeroen masks his contempt for Americans with "humor" and then asks "why can't any Americans understand me?" It makes for an unpleasant atmosphere here. No one is saying "Keep your opinions to yourself;" that's clearly against what the list is all about. But don't whine about it when your unpopular opinion gets beat on by multiple people. Don't cover your ears yelling "lalalalalalala" when something goes against you. And don't wonder why "no one understands you," because if *no one* does, then I don't think it's out of line to suggest that it's not everyone else that has the communication problem.

If the hostility you two have for each other has gotten this onerous, maybe you need to leave each other alone for a while. People should want to read the posts here, not place them in the trash can unread like so much detritus.

Jim "Fully expects to get a warning for this post" Sharkey

---