Re: ADMIN: Bringing it back to normal

[Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- jci -dot- com]

There's a couple of comments I'd like to make on this, which do not
directly bear on any of the three members mentioned in this missive, but
rather on the list itself, and this message.

First, I attempted to add some commentary to the original thread, not
mentioning any poster by name, but rather commenting upon the idea of
unquantifiable intangibles which was raised. It was not ad hominem
argument, nor did it promote any sort of contest on anyone's part. It was
simply an attempt to discuss what appeared to me then, and still appears to
me now, legitimate ideas relating to the qualifications and performance of
a techwriter.

It was rejected by the listserv. What I have taken away from that
particular episode is that it isn't worth my time to attempt to write such
a message when a controversy has erupted on the list, as any time so spent
has a definite chance of being squandered. I do not have sufficient time
that I can afford to waste it with any frequency. My project list gets
longer by the hour.

I am specifically refusing to blame (and insist that you all join me in
this absolution) either the listowner or any of the recent posters for
forcing me to this particular conclusion; I come to it freely and of my own
will. You want to blame somebody, blame me; I'm a big boy and can take
responsibility for my own decisions. (Those who know me know I am *not*
easily intimidated; those who don't can take the fact that I've faced the
business end of a .357 magnum as evidence that mere electrons are No Big
Thing.) The posters were clearly passionate about their subject, and the
listowner has a responsibility to the list to run an orderly list. Just
consider my decision "collateral damage" (or perhaps an unexpected reward)
and not the specific fault of any individual, because that is how I view
it.

>Actually, though, they just sign off the list, thus making the
>overall resource that much less valuable to all of us.

I wonder, *do* lurkers make this list valuable? *Posters*, it's clear, make
this list valuable. I suspect, but cannot prove (and won't take the time to
even try) that the longer one lurks, beyond a specific threshold value of a
few weeks, the less likely one is post. If so, short-term lurkers may
increase the *potential* value of the list, but that's it. I have no
evidence to assume theose who dropped out would have ever posted, as it
seems clear from the list statistics the vast majority of members are
lurkers, not posters. So, concerning the long-time lurkers, my expectation
would be that if any of them knew the answer to a pressing problem and
stayed on the list, the pressing problem would *still* go unsolved, because
they would continue to lurk, rather than post. That, however, is simply my
own opinion, and though it may be formed from observation of several lists
over many years, the observation is unsystematic. It does not have the
weight of fact, and you may feel perfectly free to disregard it.

And, since everyone seems to be a tad tetchy at the moment, I should
probably also add that I do not think less of lurkers simply because they
are lurkers. It's quite likely I have a higher opinion of them than some
posters, because not only do I have no reason to think well of them, I also
have no reason to think ill of them.

Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.


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