The future of the list?

[Meg Larson]

>Henry points out: 
> The women (Linda, Vaska, Meg, Penny, Chris K) are so reasonable about 
> all this. Are the flames fed by testosterone? Is it really a matter 
> of whose voice/input is bigger/louder?
>Well, now that you mention it . . .
 
First of all, let me apologize to the listers for joining the latest flap
to exhort those involved to KNOCK IT OFF!  It was an exercise in futility,
unfortunately, but I thought that if someone other than those who usually
exhort such things threw in an exhortation of her own then maybe those
parties would get the hint that enough is enough.  So, in effect, my
two-cents' worth just added to the pile-up of inanities.  During my section
of the MDMD, I posted a couple of messages designed to get people back on
track, and it worked, and it didn't.  But I tried.

I don't have any real thoughts on the list going moderated as yet--like
Henry, I believe in moderation in moderation--b/c one of the things I love
about pynchon-l is its unrestrained wildness, and the posts that are WAY
off-topic are sometimes posts of great interest, and profundity, and I've
noticed that in my year on this list, we eventually get back to Pynch. 
Somehow.

I also don't mind the flames, for the most part, but lately, the
intelligent flames have decomposed into name-calling, and personal attacks
that I really feel are uncalled for, as well as just another way to say
that which has been said 50 f%$*&!@ times already!!!  This is what I object
to.

There have been several suggestions to stop and think before posting--what
a novel idea!  As I said earlier, I try to say the things that I would say
f2f and that is usually sufficient to keep my manners in check. 
Remember--I got into it with DYB and that single flame exchange has made me
a kinder, gentler, p-lister, for the most part.  My problem, and I suspect
it belongs to others, is that I have a very difficult time suffering BS. 
At least the kind of BS that is mean-spirited and downright nasty.

What I find utterly amazing is that, for the first part of the year, we
were all chomping at the bit waiting for M&D, and now that we have it in
our hot little hands, and doing a MDMD,  it seems to be of little
consequence.  It is starting to seem like the p-list is the Personality
list of late.

So, in conclusion, I really like this little cybercommunity and want to
stay in this neighborhood so I will acquiesce to the desires of the
majority concerning to moderate.  I personally wish the list to stay
unmoderated, but that will require a whole lot of patience and vigilence on
our parts--I'm up to the task, but I'm not so sure the list at large is . .