Re: List Moderation

[malgosia askanas <ma@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jamie wrote:

> There have been a number of issues I and my students would
> have liked to engage with on this list, but none of us (especially the
> students with limited access to university-library computers) has the time
> to download, and then skim, and then delete the mass of self-indulgent
> nonsense that seems to attach itself parasitically to every attempt anyone
> makes to discuss anything seriously here.
>
> So, if the list can't be moderated, by which I mean the subscribers agree
> to respect each others' persons even if they think each others readings of
> Adorno, Marcuse etc. are "die reine Scheisse," then you can count me and
> lot of other folks out, and continue merely chatting amongst yourselves
> without an audience.

Well, I am the official caretaker of this list, so let me give you my thoughts
on this.  First of all, I would propose that if people would like to engage
with _issues_ on this list, they should go ahead and do it.  Right now, the
main issue that is being engaged with is Ralph Dumain.  It is sort of hard
for me to talk myself into defending this list against Ralph when there is
nothing visible to defend.  The dynamics of the list seem to me such that
most of the time the list is dead as a doornail, and when a discussion
develops it is usually Ralph who tends to make the most stimulating
contributions, until the discussion gets choked in the mutual death-grip
between Ralph's insults and other people's moralizing about them.

I propose to Ralph that he stop insulting people; and I propose to everybody
else that they stop feeling so predictably insulted by these by now predictable
insults.  If you feel that Ralph's posts are nothing but provocative trash,
put him in a filter -- this way you won't have to download his posts.  If,
on the other hand, you feel that they do contain something worth thinking about,
then make use of that and disregard the trash.  If you want to start a real
discussion on some real topic, please do.  I am not against protecting the list
from disruptions, but right now I am not sure what is "disruption" and what
is the stuff that supposedly needs "protection".  To me it seems that the two
sides -- Ralph and the people who claim that Ralph's insults stop them from
engaging with "real" issues -- are totally worthy of each other.

I propose that all further thoughts you may have on the topic of Ralph Dumain
be directed to me personally, ma@xxxxxxxxx, and not to this here list.



-malgosia