william wrote:

> how about just dropping the list and inviting those who want to join to
> join a NEW list, which you set up on a commercial (as opposed to
> university) listserver.  So everybody gets small ads on the bottom but
> you get total control of who you will allow to join the new list.
>
> --
> - bill -
> co-owner Irish Wolfhound Discussion List

Actually, a former listowner did just that on Topica. The problem with that is
that he was not loved and admired by a fair amount of the list membership due to
some rash actions while he was a listowner. He unsubscribed the two main
troublemakers but didn't stop there. He then unsubbed people he personally
didn't like. Then he himself left the list in a huff. This was distinctly
against list policy at the time. And in my opinion, he was one of the people
fanning the flames though I'm sure he'd be shocked to find that anyone thought
that. The other listowner at the time (and a current listowner, not me) was much
more level headed and set things right. The "loose cannon" listowner returned as
a member then left then returned then left, like a yoyo. He has undermined the
credibility of the listowners to the point were some of members sneer at us
every chance they get. His list, which I joined, started slowly but is getting
better but he has already tossed someone he disagreed with for what IMHO was not
an offense. Many will probably return when the fires are out and many, like me,
are on both lists. I don't see it as a competition and wish him luck.

Anyways, back to the point, yes, we are looking to set up a new list and kill
the old list. But we want to move the membership minus the troublemakers. This
has been requested by the majority of the members. In my opinion, we are not the
"owners" as much as caretakers. But we need to find a happy medium between a
democracy and dictatorship. A benevolent dictatorship.
--
Walter Potter