Re: ADMIN: Civility and content

["Karen E. Black" <kblack_text -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

I agree with all that Lauren said. So why do we need a moderator to keep us 
in line? For the same reason that we needed a parent to help us measure out 
the ginger ale on those rare occasions that we ever got any: to keep us 
thinking about the other list members as well as ourselves. Ideally, one 
sibling pours, another sibling chooses. The parent, however, doesn't have 
the time or the energy to monitor the gentle rivalry that can result, and 
can only intervene when the blood and teeth start to fly.

The solution? Stomp on anything that can potentially require a trip to the 
emergency room, when it comes to your attention. Pour all the servings 
yourself.

Do we need a link to Miss Manners' column on the site? Or one to an 
Alternate Dispute Resolution seminar?

And how do we resolve the contentious "you said <and I quote> so I argue 
that" threads? It may be time to devise a system that lets us gauge the 
intensity of our _feelings_ about a subject before we're allowed to post, 
because that what it seems to come down to more often than not.

Ya know what? I say it's spinach, and I say to hell with it.

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Is fearr socrú dá dhonacht ná dlí dá fheabhas.
It's better to solve the problem than to improve the law.
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