Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00257)

At 11:22 AM 8/11/97 -0400, Eldon B. Tucker wrote:
>> Even when I found out about theos-xxxx some years ago, it was not with any
>> help from anyone at Olcott. A member got all the good Karma by faxing me the
>> subscription information at his own personal cost after I casually mentioned
>> my interest in Internet during a phone call.
>> 
>>         MKRamadoss
>
>I read about the list in THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHIST and told others that I
>knew that might be on the Internet about it at the time. This was in
>September, 1993, when there were perhaps a dozen participants on the list.
>
>Since then the list has grown to 100-to-120 participants and held steady
>at that level, although there are occasional rounds of personal attachs
>with a short-term fall off in subscribers, like in the Spring of 1996.
>
>Over time, there may be several such theosophical "hangouts" on the
>Internet, each with its own personality. 
>
>I don't think that this list, theos-l, is being banished or shunned.
>My impression is that it's a free-for-all where people can get whatever
>they like out of it -- anything from help on information being sought
>to a hunting ground to try out their newly-sharpened claws. The only
>drawback is that this isn't a good place to learn about Theosophy if
>someone is new to the subject, since the wide diversity of opinions
>from "there ain't any such thing" to "my way is enlightened and the
>people worshiping those dusty old books are deluded" make it hard
>for people to learn about the core philosophy.
>
>I'll mention theos-l to people, but I can understand why some people
>might not want to. The theos-l list is a good social hangout, and
>a good soapbox for anyone to stand on and preach their ideas from.
>And it's a good place for someone with a chip on their shoulders to
>pick a barroom fight. But some people may want to create, promote,
>and recommend to others places thah are "a good place to study
>Theosophy", a different kind of hangout, but equally valid.
>
>-- Eldon
>
Good points and appreciate your response.

I have been around theosophy for several decades. And after I signed on to
theos-xxxx, I got to know of very interesting historial facts over a two
year period that I had not known in several decades. Some of the information
I saw here is unobtainable any other source for love or money. That's is one
of the areas in which I have found this forum of very unique value.

Being an *unmoderated* maillist, has two important inherent unequalled
strengths . First is the speed with which the communication is takes place
and second is the speed with which responses are obtained from the
subscribers. As the size of the subscribers and the volume of traffic
increases, these two basic strengths will become more obvious. This is
because of the fundamental nature of Interenet, which are speed and openness.

Whether anyone choses to recommend the list(s) or not, for whatever real (or
political reasons,) it is not going to make or break the list in the long
run, because cybertravellers know where the real action is. It is only
likely that the *sheep* may be scared of signing on and discussing much of
anything due to their *sheepish* mentality due fear of one sort or the other
either now on earth or in far distant some future life. Of course they have
the freedom of choice like everyone else. 

Just my 2 cents worth. YMDMV.

...................MKRamadoss