**** vs. %list folks words - a brief review

[Peter Giordano]

Jester said:
>Bravo, Dale.  Yes, this is all true about [****].  It makes the Pynchon-L
>experience accessible to those offline -- albeit a very slight and abridged
>version (with running commentary).  In this is is extremely successful.  I
>suspect that if someone unaware of Pynchon-L reads this book, they'll
>subscribe to the list for sure! 

I say:
I am at a loss - (But I admire Jester's generosity) - I cannot understand why
a list like Pynchon-L needs to be accessible off-line at all - I particularly
can't understand why this off-line access would be enhanced by 
"running commentary" - Why can't the text stand on its own - More 
speficically, why have a running commentary by only one member
of the conversation, particularly when that member has an agenda
to keep the conversation going (i.e. the need to produce text for profit)

Dale? said:
>>The added value of an editorial process of some sort is to seperate the wheat
>>from the chaf, to present in an organized fashion, to make entertaining, etc.
>>The net desperately needs more editors.  Some work by creating still more
>>web pages, some create books, some present their work in other forms.

I say:
No, the internet does not need editors; no, the users of the internet do
not need to have profiteers "seperate the wheat  from the chaf, to present 
in an organized fashion, to make entertaining" - There are many
opportunities for people and publishers to take advantage (for profit)
of internet communication - But "editing" is not one of them -  I'll let the 
last 
sentence above speak for itself

Peter Giordano
Williams College
Williamstown, MA