I too am a former member of the "other list." The "hoops" were extensive. I
believe the moderator wanted a phone number that could be confirmed by looking
in a phone book. I am not sure why. I told the moderator that I worked in a
maximum security prison, with gang-bangers, hit men, sex offenders, drug
dealers, carjackers etc., and that I, like most people in my line of work,
have
an unlisted phone number.
I was accepted, finally, as a member on the other list. However, I once made
the horrible mistake of teasing one of the List's prima donna posters, a
self-appointed authority on just about everything to do with phonographs, new
or
old. What I said was really pretty mild, or so I thought.
I was wrong. This Poo Bah's sycophants descended on me, with the vengeance
of harpies. I finally e-mailed the great Poo Bah to apologize. It turned out
that he had taken what I said in stride. He, unlike his legion of vitriolic
flunkies, had taken my gentle tweak just fine.
At the time, I was a member of both "lists." I found myself saying less and
less on the other list. I just didn't have anything to say to those folks.
When my wife and I consolidated our ISP accounts, I never bothered to inform
the
guardians of the other list. I just sent Loran an e-mail, and he switched
things over to my new e-mail address on this list.
There is not as much chatter on Phono-L as on the other list, but I think
just as much gets said. The tone on phono-L is much more collegial, and the
members more helpful. I have managed to survive without access to the vast
store
of knowledge displayed by certain members of the other list.
Not everyone over there was unpleasant, but a number of people were, and
they did not hesitate to chime in, and flame anyone who questioned what they
said, or disagreed with their pronouncements. I don't miss them at all.
Randy Minor
