My 2 cents: I have no problem receiving email from the listserv, whatever my neighbors want to say. If I'm not interested or I don't want to read it, the listserv, and all of our computers, comes with a filter. It's called delete.
Karen -----Original Message----- From: S. Sharrieff Ali [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 11:24 AM To: 'University City Listserv (E-mail) ' (E-mail) Subject: [UC] SPAM Spam defined : unsolicited commercial email, processed meat in a can. This listserv was originally intended to give neighbors an opportunity to share their views on topical issues of community concern, to interest community members in giving something back to the neighborhood. One of the first uses was getting the word out about a support drive for neighbors who were victims of a fire. There was a time when we cared about the content and post to the list. But over the years as the list grew, the opportunity to Spam the numerous captive audience was too hard too resist for some. There is something called net-etiquette which is standard on most community forum listservs. It assumes that political solicitation, commercial ventures for-profit-marketing, promotion of religion, writing entire e-mails in all caps known as "shouting", or character defamation have no place in a civil discourse forum. By using these guidelines it keeps the forum interesting enough to read. The U-City list has become an "anything goes" environment. Folks selling items, renting apartments, promoting for profit businesses, have made inappropriate, by net-etiquette standards, post, that undermine the potential quality of discussions about issues concerning our community. Reading all of the Spam that comes across the list represents the idea that we are self-serving masked as "sharing" with our neighbors. I am an American that believes in equality for ALL citizens. This is an elite system we are using, many people are not on line and accessing such spontaneous information delivery. This clearly would give anyone who chooses to use it a competitive advantage with a niche market. Exploitation? We seem to be afraid of talking about the real issues that separate us as a community. Posting all of the frivolous items that anyone could find in "Close at Hand" or by "Google" is what I believe to be nervous chatter. Ok, sometimes it is humorous! Good thing, people don't seem to send chain letters or office jokes to the list. Knock on wood! There are many who have unsubscribed or chastised those of us who are actively engaged in community building because we are passionate about where we live. We could never pay Melani or Liz back for the hours they have dedicated to our community. However, I don't want to have them or anyone else cleverly use this forum to sell me any product or service simply because it is an expedient way to reach a mass of people. We all have so much more to give. I have plenty of items and services to sell, but I have never used this forum for that purpose. I am suggesting that we all try to increase the number of people subscribed and contributing to the discussion of our community, and work to improve the quality of our post to this listserv. My 2 cents. S. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
