Actually I am glad someone other than me raised this issue, and I'd like to post some of the 'official position'. First there is the details on the web site, to be found at: http://live.hidden-tech.net/ Under the Lists menu I am not posting the exact URL so people will know where to find it, the Archive and Archive search is there also. Second, is the application of that philosophy fairly well stated by Mary below, each day and on each email. For one, we always allow jobs postings. We generally allow announcements for related local groups. The one thread phase I have not been very happy with having an answer to is when postings drag on with 'me also' or start to get into repeating debates -- when to stop those is always a judgment call. If people think we should cut those off sooner, we will. AND I have to add that we have been recently fairly lenient for some of our oldest members and I think that has been abused with off topic requests and topics. Depending on the response to this posting, we will be more strict on that. We have not had a great response with our effort to move discussions to the forums - I am looking for any suggestions there. My question to Mary, and others, what basis leads you to: 'discard the large majority of hidden-tech messages' since I don't think the majority violate our rules. And a further note, you can get the day's postings as a digest so you get one message per day -- personnally I prefer individual messages. As a side note - as for clearing your inbox - that is what filters on email clients are for. What are your thoughts ? Please join in ? Rich the Webmaster (for my staff and the HT Board) P.S - BTW - No one posted comments on the 'Good Doobie poll' so it stays as it is. Subject: [Hidden-tech] Question about list topics Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:53:00 -0500 From: Mary Malmros [1]<malmros at verizon.net> To: [2]hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net 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 [3]malmros at verizon.net Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug _______________________________________________ Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: [4]http://www.hidden-tech.net [5]Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members page on the Hidden Tech Web site. [6]http://www.hidden-tech.net/members -- Rich Roth CEO On-the-net Bringing you complex online systems since the net was young [7]http://www.tnrglobal.com - [8]http://www.on-the-net.com/rr/ References 1. mailto:malmros at verizon.net 2. mailto:hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net 3. mailto:malmros at verizon.net 4. http://www.hidden-tech.net/ 5. mailto:Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net 6. http://www.hidden-tech.net/members 7. http://www.tnrglobal.com/ 8. http://www.on-the-net.com/rr/ ----- End forwarded message -----