[Philmont] List bullies .... getting ready for the 2008 "new people"

Good points. I note, however, that it seems most people who sign up for
the List lurk for months before posting anything. As I did (on
bowline.org, the predecessor of this List), for nearly a year. I know
several people here in NCAC who have been on this List for 5 or more
years and have *never* posted. These days, anyone who joins any active
List and just starts posting can't be overly surprised if he or she gets
Whack-a-Mole'd a couple of times. I suppose this could be considered
"education." Of a negative sort, but of course that is sometimes the
best teacher (sad but also true).

As a possibly useful idea, maybe there should be an automatic send of a
"List Primer" to anyone who joins the List, providing some basic
protocols and maybe some cautionary advice. Certainly not difficult to
do, and probably useful. Thoughts?

Mark Liechty wrote:
> Interesting chat about some other list moderator attitude as compared to
> that of the Philmont list.
>
>
> I subscribe to a lot of e-mail lists (probably over 100) and have been
> doing so for over 10 years now. So this is a topic I am an "expert" with.
>
> Most lists have a few people who post a majority of the messages and can
> play "rough" with each other. That is the case on this list as well.
> Those of us who are thick skinned or thick headed get along fine with
> taking the topics hard and honest.
>
> The challenge comes when a new person asks what may be seen as a silly
> question like "I am going to take my Tiger den to the Tooth of Time
> should I take one or two juice boxes per boy".
> Instead of trying to help the person in a kind and gentle manner some
> people unload with both barrels. The result is that the bully feels
> good, the den leader quits the list and everyone else gets a good laugh
> at the idiot that should never have been on the list or at the camp in
> the first place.
>
> List management is OK with that here. This is not a nice place to visit
> for new people and as such you better come armed with a thick skin. We
> have the same kind of issue with people who launch off-list attacks at
> new people on Scouts-L.
> If I were king the bully would be tossed from the list no matter what
> else they contribute. There is a lot of chance to discuss tiger cubs
> and juice boxes without unloading on the new member who does not have a
> chance to get their footing before we blast them.
>
> I saw this last year when the new people came .... and went .... and
> expect that we will see it this year as well.
>
> My hope is that when you feel the need to unload on the idiot who does
> not deserve to be on your trail that you think of them as your wife,
> mother, helpless uncle who is trying to do a good thing. How would you
> want them to be treated?
> There is no doubt that many of the thick skinned on this list would have
> run my wife out very early in her questions. Shew would not learn
> anything at all from you or your tones. Not what you wanted and not
> what they came to ask for.
>
>
> Just a thought as we prepare for another wonderful new year.
>
>
> Note: Troop meeting last week focused on getting the newer scouts ready
> for their first campout. Some of the dumbest ideas ever came up.......
> except I made many of those same mistakes myself.
>
> Mark
>

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Received on Thu Dec 20 17:09:16 2007