On Thu, 30 Dec 2004, Tim de Mello wrote:
I agree with Cornel re: closing debate.
If I am not mistaken, Herman does not own GoaNet.
Herman is the founder and chair of Goanet. The term 'list owner' (often used by Yahoogroups) can throw up misleading connotations, about the ownership structure of a widely participated-in online network.
My personal view is that even any private media organisation, which depends on large public participation, though it can be 'owned' technically, in reality is just a Trust. It is a Trust acting on behalf of what it perceives to be the common-good of the large group of its readership.
If the trust is lost, so is the raison d'etre.
The decision to close discussions on this particular topic was taken, after due consideration, by the Admin Team. Herman merely communicated the decision to the list.
(Goanet is run through its admin team, every reader's suggestions and inputs are welcome and duly considered, and volunteers are needed all the time to help with the running of various aspects of this list.)
Closing of threads which go on for many weeks is a routine procedure on quite a few mailing lists. Specially on larger lists which need to ensure that the signal-to-noise ratio is maintained high amidst divergent interests about what makes most sense for the news.
I thought we had agreed that debates should carry on until they die a natural death. Appeals may be made for the participants to end debates but, by no means, should it be dictated by anyone.
Had we? It is possible that members have voiced their views. But I do not know of any mechanism that allows the overall members of a mailing list such as this to "agree" and take a decision on any point. In any case, the majority of the members are silent members, and at best we can only guess what their preferences are.
On the Admin Team, we do work to understand what interests people, and what puts them off. Ours may not be the most accurate reading, but we are always open to feedback.
How does one prevent a mailing-list (meant for many-to-many discussions) from degenerating into a forum for one-to-one communication?
If a discussion goes on for six to eight weeks, largely involving six to eight posters, no one seems to be getting convinced by the other side, and the right to the last word is hotly contested... then it seems to be time to call an end-to-the-thread.
More so, when those outside the small discussion circle start unsubscribing and point to the difficulty in coping with the load, substantially increased by one thread that has been going on and on and on.
If you think otherwise, do send in your feedback to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I take very strong objection to Herman's dictate.
It is not a dictate, and it is not Herman's. It was a decision taken by the admin team. You bet we will not take a decision which is unpopular among the bulk of Goanetters. If many feel strongly about this, we could go on with the 'Chickens coming home to roost/roast' debate for the next decade of Goanet's timeline ;-)
We on Goanet do believe in free speech and the need to reflect all points of view. We do not believe in slander and defamation.
We also believe in having a high signal-to-noise ratio on the list, to keep it readable, but aren't going to block any points of view using this as an excuse. (Provided, of course, you stay within the framework of the Goanet rules, which have been framed without being skewed in one direction or the other, but largely in the interest of promoting logical debate.)
-- Frederick Noronha (FN), Goanet Admin Team Member [EMAIL PROTECTED]
