On Monday, Feb 24, 2003, at 23:43 Europe/London, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > 2) Overall the JMDL is not
warm to new people, there are people who attack you the second you post, and
then refuse to make amends when you stick around. Luckily, there are a few
good old timers (one in particular for me, but, ONLY ONE, although that's all
you need) that makes one welcome. 3) The JMDL is a big clique 4) the JMDL
is lacking humor, takes itself way too seriously and should lighten way the
fuck up 5) do the members of the JMDL not have lives and 6) do you ever
think that if Joni read this she would think we were a bunch of freaks?
2) Think of the number of people on the list - somewhere around 800 at last count (Les?). For every one person that attacks you, I'm willing to bet that there's at least 10 or so that probably read your post and don't. That's a nice ratio to bear in mind.
3) If the JMDL is a clique, it's a very damn big clique. :)
4) Nooooooo. Stick around longer, I think you'll change that view. The JMDL has been very serious *of late*, but really does not lack humour or take itself seriously. Really. I suppose hypothetically it could be argued that, at times, individuals are guilty of the things you mentioned. But the whole list? That's a big brush to be tarring with, I really have to assume you didn't quite mean it that way?
5) Yes, we all have lives - as I'm sure do you (I'm not sure you meant it to be a rhetorical question, but it is grammatically so :-). I think that this was a touch unfair: everyone's circumstances are different, leaving some more time than others to post here.
6) Ah - the $6,000,000 question! Probably. And she probably has read this in the past - it would be hard to imagine not given that she once visited the original creator of www.jonimitchell.com and would certainly have become aware of the list then, if she wasn't before.
That said... I couldn't care less what Joni thinks of us or me. It's a free world, and if she gets the hump if I diss her 80s output, then so be it. She's still the most influential songwriter/musician I've ever come across.
All in all, my impression is that in your eyes, collectively, we've been judged and found wanting, on a fairly small sample of events at what is a very serious time in the world. As Colin said - the list ebbs and flows. The heat and seriousness of the moment is just a phase.
The JMDL is quite unlike any other internet list or community I've ever come across, and I've been online for over 10 years now. As such, it has a lot to offer, but I guess the flipside is that it demands something in return - it's not quite a free ride.
Me? I'm glad I joined, I'm glad I stuck with it, even when one or two things had me absolutely incandescent.
Regards,
--Chris Marshall
chrisAThatstand.org (AIM: Chr15Marshall)
"If you're ever lost, I'll beat the world to finding you"
Stryngs, "Bobblehats and Beer"
Band website, with downloads, at http://www.stryngs.com/
