Cohousing-L Mailing List: Cohousing-L content of late

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

Note:  As list manager I generally discourage discussion about the
discussion on the list (versus discussion about cohousing)  but decided it
was time to comment.  I discourage replying to this message on the list,
lets get back to talking about cohousing.  Again feel free to write me
directly. 

On Thu, 18 Sep 1997 BIGONY [at] aol.com (name not given) wrote:

> I have been considering unsubscribing from the
> list just because I have found that I have not been getting too much helpful
> information lately.
> 

I decided to write and put this comment in a bit of context.

1) There has been no rash of unsubscriptions lately.

2) Many usually active contributors have been busy lately preparing for,
   traveling to and participating in the North American Cohousing 
   Conference and have had less time to participate in Cohousing-L

3) If you wait a while the discussion will shift.

Please be assured that it would be (I think most would agree) hasty
to unsubscribe based on any current string of messages.

As list manager I generally take a hands off approach to
the course of discussion on cohousing-L.  We are fortunate to have a great
bunch of folks in the cohousing movement and those that participate in
cohousing-L are generally very thoughtful and considerate and have made
this a very congenial discussion based on the comments I hear.  

But this is an open, unmoderated Internet discussion and is subject to the
same dynamics of lack of nonverbal cues, context etc characteristic of the
media.  So things get posted that would probably not be said face to face
in public. 

Please continue to be civil while composing postings, stay on the topic of
cohousing, resist rising to the temptation to reply in kind to items you
find offensive and if in doubt set it aside till later and see how it
looks in the morning.  Please sign (give your real name and preferably
where and what group you are a part of) your messages.  Shades of
anonimity is a problem in this media.  Consider responding directly , off
the list but I urge civility there too.  If you desire my advice, feel
free to write me direct. 

If you do not find a particular discussion to be helpful, ignore it,
delete those messages.  But if you disagree and can muster a civil
response, do it.  All comments on cohousing topics are welcome. 

If things really get out of hand WHICH I DO NOT EXPECT, I reserve the
right to take action but we are a long way from that.  

I discourage replying to this message on the list, 
Again feel free to write me directly.

Lets get back to talking about cohousing.

Fred  (from Seattle)

--
Fred H. Olson  fholson [at] tc.umn.edu    Zipcode: 55411  
(612)588-9532  Amateur radio: WB0YQM          List manager of:
Cohousing-L  See www.cohousing.org        and      nbhd-tc  the
Twin Cities Neighborhood issues list. See www.freenet.msp.mn.us