Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca> (01/17/90)
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 938. Wednesday, 17 Jan 1990.
(1) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 05:26:00 EST (19 lines)
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 3.932 e-mail and more about discussion groups (102)
(2) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:10:37 EST (35 lines)
From: Jan Eveleth <EVELETH@YALEVM>
Subject: Making E-conferences Work...
(3) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:40:14 GMT (10 lines)
From: Donald Spaeth 041 339-8855 x6336 <GKHA13@CMS.GLASGOW.AC.UK>
Subject: Hirsch et al.
(4) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 19:20:57 EST (6 lines)
From: Morris Fried <FRIED@UCONNVM>
Subject: Re: 3.934 Bloometc (38)
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 05:26:00 EST
From: N.J.Morgan@vme.glasgow.ac.uk
Subject: Re: 3.932 e-mail and more about discussion groups (102)
In response to Mark Olsen's observations, I would add that the principle
difference between say HISTORY and HUMANIST, apart from the presence of
the latter's skilled moderator, is the fact that those who contribute
to (and I assume read) HUMANIST do share a clear community of interest,
despite the frequent and tedious soul searching that goes on by those
who seem to have nothing better to do than type out extensive self-
indulgent mailings will alarming regularity (oops !). HISTORY on
the otherhand has no view of what it exists for, and of late
has become a sort of bar-room courthouse for pseudo-historical
discussion on a range of currently topical events. It really is,
as Glasgow soccer players are often called, a waste of space.
Nicholas Morgan
Department of Scottish History
University of Glasgow
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------43----
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:10:37 EST
From: Jan Eveleth <EVELETH@YALEVM>
Subject: Making E-conferences Work...
Willard raises the question of what makes an electronic conference such
as HUMANIST succeed? Chet Grycz suggests that "...it will be _content_
(the liveliness and pertinence of commentary) which will be the prime
motivator for participating on one electronic seminar over another." I
agree. But can this issue of "_content_" be dissected?
What do we like about the content? We like the controversies, the
intrigues, the harsh voices and the rational voices. We empathize and
sympathize with stolen equipment, lack of funds, lack of respect for
sweat poured into keyboards in attempts to expand the horizons of the
way we do our research. The daily "soap opera" gels from the
announcements of grand events and the timid, apologetic voices of
individuals making their first postings. HUMANIST has developed into a
community because it satisfies our curiosity and our need to be
reassured that there are others facing the same computing dilemmas that
we face. Oh yes, and the information is important too.
How does a new conference succeed? First, the subscribers must represent
a broad cross-section of a given population. Too much homogeneity makes
for bland conversations. (Maybe this is why some very restricted
conferences don't get much traffic.) As stated before, there needs to
be a "critical mass" both in numbers of subscribers and particularly in
the amount of email traffic. And the messages sent must project
something of the sender. It's the person behind the message, within the
words, that we are drawn too.
HUMANIST has been rewarding because of the diversity of words, the array
of personalities, and the willingness of several members to state what
they think in explicit, provocative statements. HUMANIST succeeds
because no topic is blindly rejected. And, of course, HUMANIST succeeds
because of the attentions of Willard McCarty. That is certainly an
important variable in defining why HUMANIST succeeds where other
electronic conferences flounder.
--Jan Eveleth
Yale University
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------22----
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 09:40:14 GMT
From: Donald Spaeth 041 339-8855 x6336 <GKHA13@CMS.GLASGOW.AC.UK>
Subject: Hirsch et al.
I am reminded of the Tom Lehrer song on racism. To paraphrase,
"Some people can't stand their fellow man and I hate people like
that!" Need I say more?
Don Spaeth
University of Glasgow
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------14----
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 90 19:20:57 EST
From: Morris Fried <FRIED@UCONNVM>
Subject: Re: 3.934 Bloometc (38)
Kessler's paean to Chicago's Bloom is inspired, and under Willard's
superb baton, makes all of this worthwhile to this observer. Please
carry on...