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13002: From Bob Corbett: Open discussion of list policies.
I am going to open a public discussion on list policies and welcome your
most open, honest and critical comments. Please note that I want to
assure everyone I am not sensitive to criticism as PERSONAL criticism, in
my field of philosophy, where often one's views concern things quite close
to one's daily existence, one learns to put forward views to public
scrutiny and not take even brutal criticisms very personally. I will
accept all criticism in that spirit, but for usefulness I prefer criticism
which suggests how to do it better than merely a note that such and such
is bad.
This is a moderated list. You can't post directly to the list. All
items to the list are posted by me.
Let me quickly remind you of the list's fundamental current policies,
and at the same time announce the new policy on subject lines.
CURRENT LIST POLICIES:
1. I post items that are STRICTLY on Haiti. I do not post general
items on other topics such as the Caribbean, slavery, issues
special to people of color. This is a list restricted to
issues concerning country of Haiti and Haitians living abroad.
2. I do not censor posts with two exceptions (below). It is my view
that people should be free to express any ideas they wish about
Haiti and things Haitian, no matter how offensive to others.
The two exceptions are;
A. The very very rare category of things just so generally taken
as socially unacceptable that even I can't get myself to
hit the "send" button. In 8 years of running the list
and well over 35,000 posts there have been no more than 5 or 6
items received in this category.
B. Very troublesome to many: I do not post personal attacks on
list members for what they said in their posts.
This policy is widely misunderstood. The purpose is so
that POSTERS are not discouraged from POSTING since they
worry about being name called for their posts.
It does not protect public figures from being attacked
for their behavior and views expressed OFF-LIST. It
is a policy restricted to a person being name-called
or denounced PERSONALLY for ideas, thoughts or opinions
expressed on the list itself.
The policy doesn't prohibit any one from expressing
VEHEMENT disagreement with the ideas, thoughts or
opinions, but just from attacking the person him or
herself.
3. [NEW POLICY] Each post must have EITHER the name of the person
posting the note, or the login name used, AS THE FIRST ITEM
IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
This policy is to enable people to delete posts from posters
whom they personally determine they typically don't even want
to open. This policy in no way effects anonymity. In cases
warranted, "anonymous" is an acceptable identification.
4. Anonymous posts are accepted with quite liberal acceptance of
reasons. Political and personal life in Haiti has historically
been fraught with personal danger and is so today. In order to
incourage people to post their ideas, thoughts and opinions
I allow anonymous posting upon request. Additionally, no
attempt is ever made to see if the names used or login names
on posts are who they say they are. In fact I do know that
many of the names and login names people use are in fact
aliases. So be it.
5. No posts are accepted for donations of money or goods of any kind.
THis for two reasons:
A. I founded this list as a substitute for the fund-raising
magazine I used to publish for my own charity in
Haiti. Now and again I do use this list for that
purpose and claim that right as the sole person who
has this privilege. As any of you who've been on the
list for years know, I RARELY use this option.
B. Most of us already have out own projects we support. If
the list accepted such requests we would have many,
many of them all the time.
6. Posts are not accepted which come with attachments.
This is for two reasons:
A. I run this list with a unix system and not with a browser
based program. Thus I can't even open attachments.
Since this is a moderated list, I can't moderate
what I can't read.
B. Attachments are a common and dangerous way to pass on
viruses. I don't want to risk it.
7. Posts are only accepted in the English language.
This is for two reasons.
A. I founded the list for discussion of Haiti in English
and wish to keep it that way.
B. This is a moderated list and I am the moderator. I don't
read French or Creole well enough to moderate the
posts in those languages and I'm not willing to give up
the moderator role.
8. I do not post general announcements of web site addresses.
I just get too too many, virtually everyone on the list
has a web site and it would just be one after the other
every day. However, if one posts a normal post and the
web site address is at the end of that post, this is not
problematic.
9. I won't post items which are primarily commercial.
10. Often a "thread" a line of discussion, will begin specifically
about "Haiti," and soon the discussion moves to a higher
level of abstraction. When it does so I will cease to
post the items. I stick with posts that are specifically
and explicitly about Haiti, not about general principles.
So, to use a common example, a post may begin by discussing
economic development in HAITI, and very quickly shift to
general theories of development. At that point I quit posting
the items to the Haiti list. Again, this list is about
Haiti, not about generally interesting (or even RELEVANT)
general principles. It is specifically about Haiti alone.
11. I will NOT post items that are in all capital letters, or
nearly so. In internet etiquette that is taken to be
the equivalent of shouting.
12. When the item posted is a "news" item not written by the poster
him or herself, I do require that the date and source of the
post is given. This is to help people evaluate the source,
and to help me avoid duplication and the repetition of "old"
ideas.
I think those are the major limits to posting.
All comments, recommendation and discussion if most warmly welcomed.
Bob Corbett