Dear Jeri, et al, In answer to your question, no it doesn't matter to me that while the contributors are few, the readers are many. I am one of the bigmouths. Always have been, that's me. So I speak when I think it is appropriate. I'm sure the rest of us do, too. It has to do with who we are. For me, this is easy. For others, I imagine not so. I think there are many lurkers out there who have something valuable to add to the discussion who do not, but hopefully that will change, as I, for one, enjoy hearing from those who speak seldom. But it is up to them. We are who we are, sometimes that can be worked on, and sometimes not.
Lurkers contribute to the art in other ways. They help swell the classes of teachers, the seats at conventions, the revenues of the book sellers and suppliers, so they have enough income to continue the endeavor. Sometimes Arachne is the only thing that connects us to lace because life can interfere with lacemaking. I made my first lace in 1979 or 80, after seeing a demonstration in Noonan Georgia. But life, simultaneous babies and law school, with 10 hours of commuting a week, got in the way of doing much lace, if any. For years I just learned all over again because I had been away from my pillow for 2 years. And there was no Arachne back then. So I read or just looked at the pictures of my tiny lace library. At one point increasing fatigue and then acute chronic fatigue made lacemaking impossible. Gradually that changed. Arachne was part of the bridge to daily lacemaking of an altar cloth that I project will not be finished for another year. So I hope that my con! tributions to Arachne help those who do not contribute here to contribute elsewhere, or to continue the holding pattern until times are better for making lace. And contributing to Arachne is not the only way to contribute to the art of lacemaking. It is very clear that some of those I would consider the big hitters in lacemaking seldom if ever contribute here, but do so elsewhere, either on or off the www. We need all kinds, those who are very active in person in their area, some who create, some who teach us the history, or other information related to lacemaking, some who use different forums. Some who teach, some who write, some who take pictures and post them, some who make the internet accessible to us, some who 'just' make lace of whatever kind, regularly or occasionally. And some who post on Arachne. Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, where I wish it would be warm enough to make lace on the deck with a pot of tea. 45F 6.5C at 1:30 p.m. with 16 mph winds Jeri Ames wrote: > >When there are probably less than 50 regular contributors to Arachne, and >we know that there are another 1,000 or so who are lurking, does that >matter to you? > >Do we have a lot of knowledgeable people out there who are takers, instead >of sharers? And do they even care to realize how frustrating that is for >some of us to contemplate? > > >Everyone! We all have something to bring to the table. We cannot attract >younger lace people if we do not convey by our actions the message that we >all do our share and we do care. > >What we share on Arachne and in our lace groups is much more exciting than >playing solitaire. It builds wonderful friendships and memories. > >Hopefully, this memo has given some of our lurkers food for thought.. > "My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members, please ignore it. I read your emails." - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
