medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear George and list members
I think the unmoderated nature of the list is excellent. Granted,
some exchanges get "long in thread" and may not be to the interest of
all. There is always the delete button. And who knows, that
discussion on a topic seemingly irrelevant may suddenly provide an
interesting tidbit. One can also filter into a mailbox and read
later. As for volume, I belong to a list focused on a specific brand/
type of electronic equipment and the volume of messages can at times
make M-R seem like a trickle.
Let the list flourish and grow as it will.
best
Grover Zinn
Oberlin College
On Nov 14, 2008, at 6:45 AM, George FERZOCO wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture
>
> Dear medieval-religion colleagues,
>
> Whenever one unsubscribes from this list, one receives a note asking
> for any reason or (especially) constructive criticism in relation to
> the decision to leave. Most people, for better or worse, never
> provide such a reason. Over the past few months, though, I have
> received messages like this one that was sent to the list owners
> yesterday:
>
> ***
> Thank you for providing this discussion list. I have found some
> valuable
> information through the list. However, the reason I am leaving is
> that the
> email volume is way too high. Other lists that I belong to have a
> strict
> policy of keeping all email on their list on topic or closing a
> discussion
> thread once useful discussion has ceased. I often found my inbox
> filled
> with clever emails that, while cute, would be better addressed
> directly to
> the whoever initiated the email instead of to the whole list.
> Really, it is
> just a few of the same posters that seem to dominate the list with
> off-topic
> material. Those who respond directly to questions are extremely
> helpful. I
> wish I could stay on, but I don't have enough hours in the day to
> keep my
> inbox clear and still get my work done. Thank you again for
> providing this
> service. All of my comments are meant to be constructive. Perhaps
> I will
> join in again.
> ***
>
> Our list is an open list, and the list owners do not censor messages
> sent to it. It is impossible to please everyone, and if the list
> isn't what some members want, then that's just the way it is.
>
> However, the message above (and other similar ones sent in similar
> circumstances) reminds us of some useful points. Simply, let's keep
> messages sent to the list on topic and clearly written*, and let
> each of us try to invite participation rather than take up too large
> a share in too many discussions.
>
> I'll try to remember this, myself.
>
> Best wishes, George
>
> * Please remember that we have members who are not native speakers
> of English, so we need to write in a way that makes what we write
> understandable, and invites them to contribute.
>
> --
> George FERZOCO
> [log in to unmask]
>
> **********************************************************************
> To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
> to: [log in to unmask]
> To send a message to the list, address it to:
> [log in to unmask]
> To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
> to: [log in to unmask]
> In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
> [log in to unmask]
> For further information, visit our web site:
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|