Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl01359)

At 06:02 AM 5/24/96 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>Cut<<<<<<<
>
>And just for the record: I really, really do like to hear from new people!
>
>Murray
>
>
>Murray:
Your message to Lynn (and the rest of us) was an excellent presentation of
the way these boards work. I know I, when first I came on, and for some time
after, was always sort of surprised when someone commented on a message I
had foolishly assumed to be a "me to him (or her) kind of thing. Now I
realize that all of these messages are fully public and I never say anything
I don't want anyone to see.

You brought up the point about when two people have an immensely technical
discussion, it cuts the less expert out. But it also acts as an
instructional forum for the less expert to read and learn. People like Kim
and JHE are immensely proficient in their knowledge and in reading their
discussion, and their disagreements about terms and definitions one can, if
one wishes, learn a lot. On some of those longer and more intricate messages
I confess to "saving as" and reading at my leisure. I did this with Ann
Bermingham's really educational explanation of
"Retrograde Planets", which I have saved in hard copy. But I wouldn't dream
of interrupting such a discussion.

I also agree very much with your "family" analogy. If all of us agreed all
of the time, none of us would learn anything at all.

I do think it's a good idea for at least someone (preferably everyone) to
"Welcome" new posters to the list.

I personally think there's many reasons for the "drop" in subscribers, but I
notice that some people who had un subscribed are now returned to the fold,
and some who said they were un subscribing aren't gone yet, so I think
perhaps your point of what would we do if we had a thousand active
subscribers is very well taken, the logistics would kill the list. I
understand from my resident computer guru that the Internet is beginning to
experience problems from the sheer immensity of numbers of active "net
cruisers" and that the Universities are complaining bitterly about the loss
of time and accessibility to their own use of the net.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughtful posting

alexis