As usual,

[Katie Fischer <kfischer@keller.clarke.edu>]

I have a question.  Is the goal of the "change the list" folks to prevent 
all personal messages or only those requesting syllabi?  If it is both, 
would the one below qualify as personal?  It seems to be addressed 
primarily to Steve Krauss.  Now on the other hand, I could take the stance 
that in reading it, I learn of Wendy's opinion thus causing me to consider 
points of view other than my own.  "Perhaps," you may say, "but what can 
possibly be gained by reading several posts saying, "Send me your 
syllabus, too"?  Ah, just this.  It may tell me I missed a chance on a 
good syllabus.  It may indicate to me that although I don't care about 
the syllabus, I do care about who else is involved with WAC or courses 
training tutors.  At the very very least, it serves to remind me of and 
causes me to appreciate the many involvements of the people sharing this 
list.
	E-mail rhetoric, perhaps, should be considred differently than 
letter writing rhetoric.  Although many of our posts are sent with 
someone's name in the greeting, few of these are THAT personal or that 
singular in appeal.  I often write addressing a post to a specific person 
on the list as a way of signifying that I am responding to something s/he 
said, not as a way of acutally writing to that person specifically to 
the exclusion of others.  It is a user's tag on messages posted to a group 
like wcenter;  it is common and acceptable.  I think, too, that we may want to 
look beyond the obvious.  What do all the posts congratulating our two 
Centaurs recently being tenured mean?  Only that they are personal friends?
I don't think so.  Many of us have never met face to face.  In these 
seemingly personal messages, we recognize aspirations and goals we feel 
promote the profesionalism of our field, one we all care deeply about.  
And we recognize that although computers and cables and internet are 
nifty, the real value of our existence is in human relationships.  
When I find numerous messages requesting copies of someone's syllabus or 
tutor newletters, I feel a pulse, a heartbeat beyond the mere one line 
note.  More than anything, we are writers, all of us.  Our livlihoods depend on 
the written word.  There is a beauty, en exquisite nature in reading each 
other.  I value your words, folks, no matter how caustic, silly, or 
meaningful.  I am not willing to surrender even one of your messages...
					katie fischer

> Mr. Prime Number (aka Steve Krause),
>     First, how is my stance (supporting a change in the list processing
> program) exclusionary? How is wanting people who are asking for syllabi to
> take the time and energy to send these posts privately exclusionary?
>    Second, you wrote: "And if your system is being stretched to the point of
> breaking because you have 60 email messages a day, then there is something much
> more seriously wrong than being underfunded." First, I received 135 messages
> in one day last week. Second, perhaps you will explain your comment that there
> "is something much more seriously wrong than being underfunded." What exactly
> do you think is wrong? Be sure to answer in words of one syllable, because I
> am not sure my "system" can handle anything more complicated.
> 
> The Lowest Common Denominator (aka Wendy Wagner)
>