Les wrote: > Can we talk? Does the JMDL seem to have taken on a different flavor > lately? Does it seem to have lost some of its sense of community? Does > anyone else feel this way? I find myself more and more simply skimming > through posts rather than reading them. That makes me sad.
I find myself in the same position - from posting on two or three topics a day, now I can barely find two or three a month where I feel enough interest to contribute. The majority of posts when I first joined were, if not Joni-based, at least musically- or entertainment-based. Also, when I first joined the list, it was far more light-hearted in content (in the main) and an enjoyable past-time - which is why I enjoyed it so much. Now it has become a chore wading through the masses of links and opinions on the current world situation that people are posting. I'm not belittling the importance of current events, but this is not the forum in which I choose to discuss them, or read about them, to be honest. For that, I'd join a politically-based list. > It just feels like there's something missing. Maybe it's the content of > late. I don't particularly care for the political threads which seem to be > dominating in the last few months (I know others feel differently). Given > that, I have even less of a liking for the thought of any kind of moderation. I know people wish to discuss any and all topics, and I agree that an unmoderated list gives more freedom to talk about topics other than Joni, but things have definitely changed in that regard. The political discussion have been foremost for several months now. I've tried to start or participate in other topics, but they just seem to get lost, and people seem to lose interest quickly. > What can be done? I am really interested in a frank, civilized discussion > on the state of the list. Along with a list of grievances, I'd also > appreciate some real suggestions on how to actively improve the JMDL. > > Through the years, I've heard a lot of people say that this list is one of > the best on the Internet. I feel like it's in danger of losing that > distinction. > > Please voice your opinion and help me put this list back on top. I'm not sure what the answer is - I don't think you can start censoring people here, or where do you draw the line? Nothing but Joni? We already have that option with Joni-only. The political list Les set up on Yahoo doesn't seem to have worked as it was intended, either. Hell - full of opinions, but very sparse on ideas! ___________________________________ "To have great poets, there must be great audiences too." - Walt Whitman Hell's Home Page - NEW & IMPROVED! http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hell/index.html
