Dear John,

No apology is necessary. You have handled the issue sensibly and with sensitivity. It is important not to over-react or to cut off discussion provided that everyone behaves with reasonable decorum. Even is some do not, they may be driven by frustration. One can always delete. I think that Margaret hit the spot  with her reasoned comments.
Rob Twiss, as usual, gave us a brilliant and sensible precis of the role of continuum mechanics by pointing out the the behaviour of granular materials, at all scales, is a complex deviation from theoretical continuum mechanics. I am happy to continue to receive messages ; one always learns something.

best wishes,
John Dewey

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I must apologise to all remaining list members for having been away from my post when this all began on Friday and so not in a position to take immediate action. I hope that if any of the members who did unsubscribe are your colleagues, you will encourage them to rejoin.
 
I was able to take action last night and currently Dr Koenemann is a member of the list but is not able to post. He is able to read messages. After his message from a week or so ago, that contained offensive comments concerning other list members, he and I exchanged private emails and a telephone conversation. The result was the posting of his "discourses". My decision to open the list to them, whilst perhaps not universally welcomed was supported by many members both in messages to the list and sent to me privately. I stand by that decision. However, in the light of subsequent events I need to make it clear that the discourses were first sent to me privately before being posted to the list 24 hours later. Thus I maintained a loose editorial oversight. I'm sure I need hardly add, I did not receive any prior notice of the "combined replies" message. However, prior to that message, I had already received discourses 5 and 6 which should have taken care of the weekend, when I was away from email.
 
It does seem that, in spite of his protestations, debate is not what Dr Koenemann desires. In this instance, as previously, the expression of contrary views results not in discussion but in insults and wildly intemperate language. I do not intend to restore Dr Koenemann's posting rights, he not only overstepped the bounds of reasonable comment as permitted by JISCMail but betrayed the trust that I placed in him. I leave to him the decision as to whether he wishes to remain on the list as a listener.
 
John Whalley
 
 
 
John S Whalley, Geoscience Programme Manager
List owner - geo-tectonics
  (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/geo-tectonics.html)
Tel +44 23 9284 2247                                Fax +44 23 9284 2244
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences                             
University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, UK                Email- [log in to unmask]


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John F. Dewey FRS, UC Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Geology
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