[Hidden-tech] Question about list topics

[Mary Malmros]

At the risk of starting off a firestorm, I'm going to raise the issue of 
what topics are suitable for this list.  I'll begin with a disclaimer 
that I really don't have a dog in this hunt: I don't have an opinion and 
don't care what the parameters are for hidden-tech list topics.  I 
would, however, like to know just what the parameters are: I discard the 
large majority of hidden-tech messages, and if the consensus is, "It's 
all good," then I'll probably opt out.

The stated purpose of hidden-tech, from the website, is to "beat 
isolation, share business tips, find resources, create alliances, learn 
business skills and alert regional economic planners and technology 
service providers about our presence."  That can be stretched to cover a 
lot of waterfront, including everything I've deleted in the past week.  
However, my sense when joining the list was that this was about 
businesses, and about networking around business needs, resources, ideas 
and challenges rather than personal ones.  Certainly when you're running 
your own business, the lines blur, but...wow, this is going to sound 
really unsympathetic, and like I'm targeting people, but I'm not...I 
wasn't really looking to join a kaffeeklatsch, and I think we've 
wandered somewhat into that territory.  I understand the urge and the 
tendency, when you're active in a forum (even just an active reader), to 
go to that forum with all your questions because the forum is where you 
do a lot of your interacting with people...but my personal sense is that 
the list's purpose becomes diluted when this sort of thing goes on. 

So let's hear it: is this just my perception, or have we gotten into a 
bit of a "dear chatters" style at times here?  If so, is that what we 
really want? 

-- 
Mary Malmros            			malmros at verizon.net
	Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug