Halloo, all members of the Silver List! We've reached some interesting milestones recently:
** We're fast approaching 350 members! ** We've generated 60 to 90 postings on several recent days! ** We now send as many *digests* as we used to send messages! The topics of discussions have ranged more widely than usual lately. Just in the last week or so, we've been dealing at some length with all of the following divergent subjects: body pH; migraines; food allergies; alkaline water; ozone; arthritis; asthma treatments; dowsing and metaphysics; magnet therapy and theory; breathing techniques; enzymes and other cancer treatments; osteoporosis... etc. Plus, we've coped with the silly bounce message problem, which seems to be fixed now, and have had to, unfortunately, say goodbye to Reid. Many of our members have now had the experience of going away for a few days and coming back to *HUNDREDS* of messages! Too many to catch up on without an extraordinary effort and much, too much, time. But the most serious issue is this: If you analyse things a bit, you'll notice that less than a *third* of the postings on recent days have been on topic. Plus, if you've been here a while, you'll recognize that many of the serious research crowd, the folks who are working hard to figure out the details of this stuff, have fallen silent for the most part. It turns out that many of their discussions are now taking place in private e-mail. This amounts to a problem, especially when you consider that the mission of this list is: * To provide interested individuals with fair and unbiased information they can use to decide if colloidal silver is safe and effective, and that will help them if they choose to get started. * To support individuals who are experimenting with colloidal silver by providing a forum for discussion, collaboration, reporting results, and exchanging encouragement. * To dispel the hype, half-truths, and disinformation that surround colloidal silver. * To further our understanding of colloidal silver, it's properties, production, and usefulness, and make this information freely available. So what should we do? What will I do as list owner? First off, I'll initiate this little conversation with you all. If this is to remain the *silver* list, and be useful for that purpose, we will have to pull back from the more far ranging discussions. Each of you will need to act responsibly in taking things off list when they cease to be topical. It is clear to me that we need to continue to help people find the information they need, whether it's related to CS directly or not. But our emphasis and focus has to remain clear. The best way to do this is to post *pointers* to the web sites, lists, books, magazines, organizations, etc., that will help the members find more information on all these wonderful, disparate topics we keep falling into, *then* vigorously move further talk to e-mail or other forums if they exist. I can't formulate any hard and fast rule nor enforce things all that strictly without creating too much work for me and a stifling dictatorship, to boot. I need the cooperation of each of you for this to continue to work. I want you to know I *have* enjoyed most all of the many and varied topics we have covered lately and regret that I cannot follow up on them in more detail. We've got an *amazing* bunch of folks gathered 'round this campfire! The dynamic is here to create a great general purpose alternative health list. What this experience clearly shows is that there is a *tremendous* demand for just this kind of forum, where we can range widely over alternative health topics in an environment sheltered from blatant spam, fanatical debunking, and flames. So if anyone would like to step forward and create *that* list, to be moderated and governed by similar principles and rules as this one, I'd be more than willing to help you get started. Or if you know of any such place that already exists, then I'd love it if you'd tell us. Beyond that, I'm looking for your suggestions and ideas. There is, as always, amazing potential for good to come out of what we are doing here. I am in awe of the power of this medium and all of you, who have such zest for exploration and concern for each other. All I can say is, WOW! Be well, Mike Devour silver-list owner [Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian] [[email protected] ] [Speaking only for myself... ] -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
