On Fri, 23 Oct 1992 02:27:18 EDT Roger Burns said: >I've been warned about how the nature of our list discussions may >change and that there may be troublesome flames, etc. With this >in mind, I'm thinking of setting up some simple rules for the >list (which is and shall remain unmoderated). > There isn't much you can do to make people follow whatever rules you have. It still depends on some gentle or not-so-gentle persuasion via email and sometimes to the list. >Where can I find discussions and/or examples about rules that have >been tried on other lists? If this has been discussed a lot beforehand >I would appreciate anyone suggesting when this may have been discussed >in depth, in order to help me in doing a search of the LSTOWN-L archives. > I think it was last Feb or March here, there was some discussion (I asked the same questions :-) ) >Any other advice about linking a list to a USENET newsgroup will be >appreciated. BTW I'll mention that 1st we will be setting up a It seems to depend on the list topic. A technical, tightly defined list is probably less inclined to nourish flames than one that, by the nature of the topic, just begs for flames. One of my lists on Southeast Asian studies just finished another battle over independence for East Timor, for example. But with passionately held, although not always informed, beliefs, that seems to be endemic to a list like that. And there is also a tendency to go completely adrift of the list parameters. As Eric says, some people believe they have the right to post anything to any list. I try to follow the list closely and send mail whenever *I* think it appropriate. I do consider myself an "editor"-- not in the sense any real editing is done, but I try to keep the desires and interests of the subscribers, as well as the list topic, in mind. It is not heavy-handed and dependent on what I happen to like or agree with--it's just an attempt to keep the list valuable to the discipline and serious subscribers. This list also has a great number of students from the Southeast Asian area, so they are very senstitive to what anybody says about their homeland. ======================================================================== Elliott Parker Bitnet: 3ZLUFUR@CMUVM List Owner, SEASIA-L and CARR-L Internet: [log in to unmask] Department of Journalism Less certain possibilities: Central Michigan University [log in to unmask] Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 USA CompuServe: 70701,520 Office tele: +1 (517) 774-3196 The WELL: [log in to unmask]