Dear Arachnes, I would like to remind you gently that posting private e-mail to Arachne is a no-no. It is wrong from a copyright point of view (copyright of an e-mail message belongs to the original sender unless permission is given to forward the mail). It is also wrong from a netiquette point of view because it is extremely divisive. It 'invites' other subscribers to join the fray and take sides. Most of us have had enough of wars.
Political views really belong on lace-chat. We agreed years ago that lace-chat is for Secret Pal thanks, jokes, non-lace-related matters, politics, and religion. Unlike some lists that have rules against posting anything about religion or politics, lace-chat has traditionally relied on the good will and common sense of subscribers; in other words, if it's not fit to say in front of a room of 300 people, please don't say it at all. >From time to time I'm asked to squelch political statements in e-mails. I usually respond along the following lines, and I'll repeat what I've said to others: First, American politics bores me (and probably other non-American Arachnes) to tears, so I use my Delete key a lot. I suggest you do the same, if a discussion offends your political views. Second, everyone has different notions of what is offensive. One person's slander is another person's joke. Some people have thicker skins than others. A comment you might find deeply wounding might be perceived as quite mild by the person who wrote it or by people who read the comment. A lot of the political conflicts include past personality conflicts and other baggage. So please keep this in mind and think twice before you decide that someone was out to get you. Third, there is a correlation between freedom and bumpy patches. Some lists are completely moderated, so that all postings must be approved by the moderator. That makes a list very on-topic and very polite, but it also removes a lot of the life and spontaneity from the discussion. It's difficult to have a real debate when the postings might appear at 24 hour intervals. If I policed the list very strictly, it would remove the bumps but it would also remove a lot of freedom. That's the trade-off. This is an imperfect world and at the moment technology has not come up with a perfect program for moderating lists or a perfect list moderator who is able to please everyone. ;-) Fourth, this list's membership is remarkably stable. We know so much about each other that we could probably recognize each other if we were all thrown into a room without name tags. Unlike many lists where people don't use their real names and where new subscribers come and go every day, this list has members who have been here for a phenomenally long time. What that means is that we know each other a lot better than other lists and we have a pretty good idea of people's views on politics, jokes, child-rearing, driving, favourite lace, etc. We know who the experts are in conservation, lace history, and specialized techniques. In many ways, we are like old married couples. We appreciate each other's strengths; I think we should learn to turn a blind eye to each other's weaknesses. When I see someone writing at length about something that bothers me, I say to myself, "Oh, that's just so-and-so going on about his or her favourite subject," and delete. It's much easier on the nerves than getting angry. Please feel free to respond to me PRIVATELY, so that we can return the lace list to its rightful subject. Thank-you. Best wishes, Avital Arachne moderator - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
