On Sat, 06 Jun 1998 14:32:40 +0100, you wrote:

>Ouch. Doug's tone and replies are honest and fair. I'm not knocking
>anyone's reputation, nor quite confining people to the grave. I was
>employing humour though, even in the names cited. I'm not nasty, honest.
>I don't believe in British Poetry though.
>
>My hand is extended.
>

I'm grateful to Chris for climbing down from his former tantrum, which
wasn't called for. It gives me an oportunity to re-assert, kindly I
hope, some of the aspects of the list which seem to get overlooked,
though it's all easily accessible and shouldn't come as a surprise..

1. The address makes it plain that the list is "hosted" by mailbase,
the server set up and funded by the UK academic network to meet their
needs. We have access to it because two of the listowners work in UK
Universities. The standard suffixes declare it to be ac (=academic)
and uk (=based in the UK). No particular surprise, then, if it has
biases in those directions. There are other poetry lists which don't
have such biases, but have others instead. 

2. The list is open, however - anyone may join, contribute, leave as
they wish; also anyone may scan the archives of the list without
joining. Joiners get a note of introduction explaining the scope and
preoccupations of the list when they join, and may indeed scan this
note before they join. If they dislike these, nobody makes them join.
The note urges people not to abuse the openness of the list. It is
technically possible to run the list as a "closed" list but I for one
would have to step down from it as I don't see the point of such a
list.

3. It's a _Discussion List_ - which means we discuss things, rather
than shout (electronically speaking) at each other. That may seem
frightfully old-fartish to some, but I hope we can stick with it for
the most part. A discussion list is not a tv channel which you just
howl at if you don't like the programme, it's a place where you
contribute, or lurk, or quit.

4. Nobody makes anyone join a list, or compells them to stay. It's up
to the individual. If it's not to his/her liking, they're welcome to
use the mechanisms of the list to develop it into something more to
their liking, or leave and seek a more appropriate place.

Nobody's ever claimed that the list was "representative" of anything.
But the range of diverse views which have already cropped up on the
list is, actually, creditable, not bad for a start - albeit it's not
enough. Its ability to develop as a meeting place where even more
different view points can co-exist is totally dependant on the
contributions of its membership. It should be obvious that, poets
being the fractious bunch they are, the odds are against this -
nevertheless, with civility, we can give it a go.

Gosh. Hope that's clear, and well-taken, and look forward to the
further constructive input of those who've found the list wanting in
various respects.

RC


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