On 10/3/07, Evan Beaver <> wrote:
> While I partially agree with this posting Terry, I think it sets a
> dangerous precedent. Yes, some people don't like flippant comments, or
> thoughtless posts. Others do though; I for one think it lightens the
> mood and allows people to lower their guard and speak candidly.
> Don't forget this is an internet forum, for discussion. The moment
> people start trying to take sensibilities into account is the first
> step toward censorship.
There's nothing wrong with censorship on Internet discussion lists,
per se. The alternative is that lists too often become dominated by
trolls. Then again, I grew up around someone with Asperger's syndrome,
so compulsive, competitive listers really set my teeth on edge. That's
my problem but I find a lot of ordinary folks have prejudices against
people with binoculars because of the stereotypes created by
point-scoring listers. It's sort of like loud, drunken tourists from
<insert country here>...they set a bad example without being
representative of the larger group.
> I'm of the opinion that if a post annoys you,
> delete it, maybe even block the sender if they're a serial offender (I
> know I have blocked some posters).
Excellent suggestion! It's the only real solution short of more
aggressive list moderation. Mail filters are a great feature. I don't
block John Harris' posts and have no idea why he took Terry Reis' post
as directed at him. If I missed something there, no worries.
> But don't ask them to stop, because
> in essence you're asking them to change their opinions/reactions to
> accommodate your request and reducing the diversity and vibrancy of
> what has previously been a good open forum.
Hmmm. I can think of at least five professional ornithologists and/or
bird guides that have personally told me over the years they avoid
this list because it's dominated by irrelevant threads and twitching
discussions. I rarely post to this list and never post sightings for
reasons identified in the survey. I'm only posting now in what is, for
sure, a flame-bait thread already because I'm in an unspeakably surly
mood.
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David Adams
Wallaga Lake 2546 NSW
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www.birding-aus.org
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