Cost of Admission to BP

Whenever there is a new subscriber to BP, or when someone leaves, I get an
extra e-mail note from the list server keeping me posted on the traffic.

The preservationeers seem to have a small trickle of people joining, which
particularly heightens after an occasional foray into PL territory, that keeps
the list growing. In the role of list owner (which I see more as a role of
cultivation, owning a list as any gardener thinks they own a purple cabbage) I
don’t care if the list increases in subscribers, or not.

What I care about is the depth of relationship building brought about through
the list, as well as the opportunity to gain exposure to ideas that may differ
from our own.

I am always perplexed by the small group of names that enter the list, say
nothing, and then as silently leave.

BP will never be any more or less than our interacting with each other.

Bullamanka is not, and never has been, meant to be a list for lurking. Though
I threaten to unsubscribe chronic lurkers, I have not ever removed anyone from
the list without their having actively requested removal. If you are lurking
on BP, and you do not EVER contribute to the melee, then possibly you could
answer one small question to settle our minds, de-lurk for a short breath: Why
are you here?

Possibly you are stuck and want to get away? You have long finger nails and
cannot type as a result? Your employer is monitoring your brainwaves? The
sandman keeps dumping a heavy load on your head? You are from building
security and you thought this was a subversive list of beat preservationists?

At this dive the cost of admission is the once-in-a-blue-moon special, speak
your mind, then you can keep silent.

][<en Follett