Well I guess I need to update the MoPo FAQ....my words are coming back to haunt me. Some time ago I decided to allow MoPo to breathe a little by permitting off-topic posts. I thought it would make the group a little more human. I think it makes getting to know a fellow cyber-collector much easier when you can share a little off-topic info now and then and makes a discussion board become more like a group of friends who happen to share a common interest. No matter what direction MoPo takes there's always someone ready to criticize. Like politics, it's a no-win situation. Stay strictly on-topic and the list is accused of being boring. Go off-topic and people complain about their inboxes filling up. (Easy solution? Use the DIGEST version and get all the posts in a single e-mail). The text from the FAQ that JR has so helpfully posted sounds harsh because it was posted at a time when the list was in turmoil and in danger of being destroyed. I don't want to relive the details, but there had to be a set way of dealing with the bizarre shenanigans and putting "rules" into the FAQ gave me something to use if I needed to. MoPo survived, but the threatening tone of that section of the FAQ remains. I guess the on/off topic debate will forever plague MoPo. But as list owner I have the final say and this week the wind is blowing more towards allowing reasonable off-topic discussions--but please put OT in the subject line. You may ask what "reasonable" is....well that's up to me. Sorry, perk of being listowner. More thoughts: One really troubling thing I read this week was posted by fellow discussion group operator Andy. He wrote, (in reply to Holiday):
"RE: censorship - I get more emails for censorship and having a clean forum than againt it. Some members will only view and post MPF for that reason alone.But your entitled to your opinion obviously, In my eyes it's a point of view from a minority of people on the grand scheme of things." THAT'S SCARY. One thing I will NEVER be is FOR censorship. Makes my skin crawl. Another troubling thing was written by Bruce H: "...I am so happy there is a "new breed" of poster collector that you mostly find on allposterforum.com <http://allposterforum.com/> and not very much here. Many of these collectors have hundreds or thousands of posters from the past 30 years. They LOVE their collections, and they are buying their OWN memories, not what other people tell them should be worth collecting." People on MoPo don't LOVE their collections? Bruce I think you're taking a cheap shot here and being unfair to most people on MoPo. There are (and always have been) some rather vocal/caustic/outspoken/pompous/rude/selfish/greedy/sneaky/backstabbing people in this hobby. Thankfully they aren't the majority. But like a hungry mosquito, even one can make your life miserable. Whether its on an internet discussion group on in the real world it doesn't matter. Give All Poster Forum time. I've yet to see ANY internet discussion group avoid drama. It comes to all. Sorry Holiday, your time will sadly come. Just ask Andy, Ari, Jon Warren, and Donnie of the old Style-B....and everyone else who has ever run an on-line forum. Just a few cents from your usually-quiet listowner. Scott _____ From: MoPo List On Behalf Of James Richard Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 5:25 PM Subject: Re: [MOPO] everybody back on topic, please! Andy, Yeah, it's nice to be easy going about the on-topic rule -- the problem is it doesn't stop with the "occasional" off-topic message. First, the message will often stand a thread of off-topic replies. Worse, somebody on sees an off-topic thread thread going on and so decides, since they have nothing to write on-topic at the moment, to toss out another "interesting" off-topic tidbit... thats starts another thread, etc. At some point somebody makes a crack about somebody else in one of the 3 or 4 or 10 off-topic threads going on and a feud breaks out... ...the next thing you know, I've got 50 emails a day coming into my inbox from MOPO which have nothing to do with posters, films, collecting or auctioning them. Already your art-from-grain-of-sand post has spawned 3 off-topic replies in the first 38 minutes. I am reminding everybody that it is rule of this list and that everybody needs get back on topic and stay that way -- at least for while since the off-topic stuff has got so far out of hand of late. Too many people are considering leaving MOPO because of all the static, myself among them. Look, there are literally a *billion* other places on the internet to discuss Dinosaur Dung and all these other supposedly fascinating things floating around on the internet -- but MOPO ain't supposed to be one of them. The list owner, Scott Burns, has been very clear about this over the years. Once again, from the end of section 1.2 of his MopoFAQ on www.Filmfan.com: "There are 2 VERY important rules concerning posts made to the MoPo List: 1) Personal attacks of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes name-calling, innuendo, insults or gossip. 2) Off-topic posts are not permitted. There are ample places on the Internet to discuss politics, religion, sex or any other issue. Posts to MoPo should be related to movies, movie memorabilia, and the people who collect it. Persons who disregard these rules will be removed from list membership immediately and without notice. However on the first infraction, individuals will be permitted to resubscribe if they wish to rejoin the group and agree to abide by the posting rules. Upon a second infraction, removal from the list membership will be permanent. Determination of a rule violation and subsequent removal from the mailing list is the sole responsibility of the MoPo List Owner." -- JR Andy Neal wrote: Agreed! JR does raise some very good points which I will certainly take onboard. I do think we should have some off topic conversations though if it doesn't involve bickering, for example... Check out this Watch made from Dinosaur <http://www.movieposterforum.com/index.php?/topic/31809-watch-made-from-dino saur-dung/> Dung Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
