On this day debate

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Henry M. writes:
> Rather than encourage the genuinely wasted human bandwidth that would 
> occur if people start sending messages that are both truly irrelevant 
> to this list and are unfilterable by the non-repetitive nature of 
> their subjects, I am bowing out of sending "On this day" messages. 
> 
> But, while a have the floor for a moment:
> 
> Strange that people who don't have the time to delete a clearly 
> marked message have the time to write at length on the subject. 

I only wrote once. And the length of my post was to ensure that you
understood clearly what I saw as objectionable and that the same
message need not be repeated to other posters in future cases. There
is a general issue at stake which needs to be understood and a
consensus arrived at by all.

It is rare for people on this list to request others to stop posting
(I have done it twice now and both times I hesitated for weeks before
posting the request and was unhappy doing so). It is hard to justify
making such a request. The *only* excuse for doing so is to ensure
that those who are here only to discuss Pynchon stay here and that
those who are here to generally shoot the bull are reminded that there
are other, better fora for `chat'. One problem with increasing the
amount of (at best) tangentially related content is that those who
have much to contribute but little time to contribute it (e.g. Krafft)
are put off subscribing/remaining subscribed. If what you post is of
dubious relevance to Pynchon then people (*not* mail filters) have to
start making decisions, especially when follow-ups can often bring
things back on topic (that's why mail filters *don't* work). If all
this means *you* have to work harder to ensure that what you write
does relate to Pynchon is that really such a sacrifice?

And it is nothing personal, Henry. I think your Pynchon-related posts
are entertaining, insightful and valuable. And I would not really care
if your postings were inane or obvious so long as they kept people
talking and thinking about the book and the man. If you *are* going to
stop transcribing your almanac then please use it as an opportunity to
write more about Pynchon.


Andrew Dinn
-----------
And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.