[X Newbies] OT: "Propaganda"

[Vincent Cayenne]

At 12:36 PM -0400 4/15/04, Raoul Armfield wrote:
>I believe this is an unmoderated list

And that can be a wonderful thing.

If you're on an un-moderated list and your sensibilities are offended 
by some list personas, you apply Usenet techniques. Killfile 
whomsoever you can't handle, grin & bear it, or find a list that is 
more suitable to your sensibilities. Because you certainly can't 
mandate a change in others...

In any event, longtime denizens of these lists in particular know 
that there's a regularly quarterly blowout. The diehards and 
masochists hunker down or step away, the transients move on, new 
users join, and list life goes on. On these lists, good advice is 
given, opinions spouted, points argued, and usually the querent gets 
an answer along the way. But there is a conviction and a commitment 
to moving everyone forward. They (we) all mean well. The objective is 
to help one another. In the course of the exchange, other perhaps 
irrelevant communication happens. But there are other lists that are 
run by different rules. Sometimes the same people maintain separate 
personas in keeping with the nature of the lists themselves.

What is truly offensive is intolerance. Seen a lot of it lately.

So Charles is exuberant, opinionated and often abrasive. At some time 
past, I was one who took offense, carped at him, and countered some 
of his commentary (not his sigs). Then we got over it. Or I hope we 
did. But we co-exist, offer up some advice - some right, some wrong. 
There's always someone there to correct one's foolish pronouncements 
on anything Mac. I've had all of mine picked apart <g>.

I've only ever encountered one mean-spirited, truly offensive, 
stick-up-the-ass pontificator on these lists. The sniping, 
mealy-mouthed digs and the marginally polite veneer renders their 
wealth of information truly an expensive burden. It's no wonder that 
they seem rarely thanked.

[In that vein, and to whom it may concern: If your peacock went the 
way of the dodo, perhaps more would appreciate your owl?]

If this post is in itself of offense to some, I apologise only for 
its length and can assure you that it shall remain my *only* entry in 
this thread. Of course, that also means that detractors or those in 
outright disagreements with my sentiments need not concern themselves 
with the possibility of my reply. Feel free to flame, chastise or 
vilify. I'll cheerfully read 'em, won't weep. It's all in the game.
-- 
Deliberate rudeness is a valuable and effective way of sending 
messages, but inadvertent rudeness is simply an outward sign of an 
inner ineptitude.
  - The Underground Grammarian, Vol. 1, No. 8