Karen, remind your list members that belonging is a *privilage* not a
right. A discussion list is not a democracy, you are the owner for a
reason. The owner sets the rules, members accept them or move on. Remove
the ones who refuse to follow the rules, and filter their addresses out so
they can't rejoin. As owner you have to occassionally crack the whip, don't
be cowed by a few loudmouths, and don't be afraid of losing members, any
you lose by cracking down would be more that offset by those you will lose
by allowing it to continue. I own the Flyfish list (about 1000 members), we
have perhaps one of the most civil list on the net, and we have only two
rules, no flaming and no advertising. I rarely have to invoke either
because the members are self-correcting, only once did we have real trouble
on the list and it was caused by one person spouting the same thing as you
have mentioned. I simply informed him that was not allowed and he could
conform or leave, he left. It sounds like your list would be better off if
you lost a few members anyway :-).

  Danny


Danny Walls
Systems Analyst              Owner Flyfish List
Dept. of Agronomy
University of Kentucky       [log in to unmask]
606-257-5524 (work)          flyfish web page url is
606-887-4803 (home) http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/main.htm