Sinister: Thus Spoke Every Zarathustra

[honey at xxx.org]

Copied to the list: let this be an end to the discussion of list
content please.

Jarrod,

I'll assume you sent your mails before you saw mine to the list.
Please don't misunderstand me.  I'd never in a thousand years say
people shouldn't criticise the band, or the label on this list.  I
don't think you did anything wrong in giving your opinions of the LP,
such as you heard it via MP3.  We differ a little in your style of
delivery, but that's a personal matter, not a list protocol matter.
And strong and varying opinions are the meat of any mailing list.

So far so good.  But please understand this list has rules, and you
signed up for them when you subscribed.  They've evolved over a long
time, involved a lot of people, who have reached a powerful consensus
over how to make a mailing list this big and this active survive.  They
took a lot of time and a lot of patient care by a lot of people who
worked to make this list what it is today, and that work continues, by
the kind people who take time to mail me.  I therefore can't help but
wince a little when you say:

> The rules of the list seem as ridiculous as those in The Cider House 
> Rules, should any of you read the book.  

Forgive me, that stings a little.  This is your opinion.  But this list
has rules, others don't have so many, or none, and you make your own
choices where to live.  And that's fine.

> It's a bit of a joke, really, 
> that there are rules at all, 

We differ.

> as lists like this not only provide a forum for 
> celebration for a band, but a much needed trading of new and different ideas 
> and such.  

Very very true.  And not just celebration, and not just the band.

> You can't regulate such a thing without there being lines drawn, 
> and emotions upset.  

I believe exactly the opposite, and I think the current episode shows
that.  And we both agree that lines being drawn are sometimes a good
things, sometimes bad I think.

> So I'm all for dropping any rules, and having a free 
> for all..  

Jarrod, this is non-negotiable.  You're allowed to mail *me* and
discuss list content, and I promise faithfully to project true
opinion about the list by the majority of members as it's
communicated to me.  I don't want to and won't run a list that the
majority of members don't like.  Besides, they'll just leave.

Nothing in the FAQ limits discussion of any content on the list, apart
from discussion of list content itself, which you indulge in here; it's
outlawed for the reasons outlined in my list mail, and this consensus
was reached after bitter experiences on this and other lists.  The
other thing that's outlawed is outright vicious flaming, which no-one's
quite done yet, happily.  People criticise the band, the label, and
should feel very free to do so too if they think their cause is just.
I'd just like to avoid false oppositions, and if we're criticising an
individual band member or whatever, I'd like to make very sure they get
the same courtesy as anyone else.  It's a question of tone, I guess.

Finally just a couple of minor things.  Please remember to ask people
if you're posting exerpts from private mails they sent you: it's
courtesy, and actually lawful to do this.  I'm sure none of the
people you quoted mind, and maybe you asked them all, if so disregard
this.  Secondly please do be careful about sending mails twice to
Sinister.  We have a lot of list traffic and it helps to keep the
volume down.  

Thanks,
Honey


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