Having been here fore almost 6 years, I recall many times where the subjects have been contentious, where there has been much flaming, personal attacks etc. this is not new.
I do not feel the sense of community has been lost. Many people still have the bonds they forged. Perhaps those who feel the sense of community has been lost are those who dropped out of it? To have a communtiy we have to be part of it. If we set ourselves apart form it, then of course the community feel will be lost to us for we have left it.
My own opinion is this: even before the NJC/Joni Only thing was sorted out, I don't recall so many psost complaining about content. This has really concerned me. Why? Because I just knew it was going to lead to this post of Les' and I fear will come to ruin the JMDL once and for all.
Life ebbs and flows and the JMDL does too. I truly believe if left well alone, as it always been, it will flow again. It can never be what it was because none of us are what we were. The world has changed, so have we and so has the JMDL. I don't believe the JMDL has changed permently for the worse. Periods of change and growth can be painful. If arrested, it can be disasterous.
I still think this a wonderful and exciting list. Yes, I do find some of the posts tedious and boring. i wouldn't dream of telling you which ones. People find interest and excitement in different topics, who am I to back handedly tell them they are not up to the mark?
When it comes to expressing ideas, and having people disagreeing with them, so many of us are unable to distingusih between attacking an idea and attacking a person. The worst posts I have seen recently were those attacking a person for her sincerely held ideas. however, clumsily they may or may not have been expressed, the personal attacks she recieved were dreadful . i was so disappionted to see these attacks from people I formerly had respected. BUT then I think about the war,about sept 11th, and how these people have been affected, I feel more tolerant and understanding of them.
All these years, I have felt Les to be an excellent list host and this list to be a magical place. If the paremeters and rules are changed, it will be lost forever. We, the members, have always more or less decided on how this place is. Most of the time our decisions have been such that we have had a warm family like atmosphere. Even the best of families argue.
We each have a peronal responsibilty to write in such a way that it makes the list a place we want to be part of. I feel that 'bowing out' abdicates that responsibilty.
i do not feel that expressing contentious ideas ( and most ideas are to someone!) is bad or wrong. People are responsible for how they react to them. Such ideas can be expressed, and mostly are, without personal attacks. It is when the ideas are challenged in the form of personal abuse that the trouble starts.
In the end, I fear for this list greatly now. Not because of the turbulence here recently, but because of the calls for contol measures. Once that starts, the list is finished as it is and will become just another fan list.
we are each responsible.
bw colin
