> -----Original Message-----
> From: The parapyschology listserv ....On Behalf 
> Of Ken Follett
> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 2:07 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Stifling discussion? Or....
> 
> 
> Good questions, and not new. These questions have been 
> brought up since when BP originated.

When you get tired of masonry, you should move into philosophy. 

> My personal bias, I want to know what I learn on BP and in as 
> haphazard and jumbled a manner as it comes across. 

I recently made a post on Forum-L, the National Trust's Forum
membership-level listserv. It recounted my memories of our garage while
growing up, dredged up by someone's post about modifications to garages
in Chicago. I got more response (thank yous and such) from folks on that
post than on any other, and it was "off-topic." Just a one paragraph
recollection that resonated with a lot of people and brought back
memories they had not turned over and examined in their minds in a long
time. They were heartfeltly grateful for the moment.

I could not have made that post without B-P. It is here that I have
learned the art of better story-telling, with encouragement from Drew
(hey Drew! Get unbusy and hurry back in here!). So there you have it, in
irony of irony, I have become a better community person by contributing
better noise to another list because I have become a better noisy boy on
B-P.

> What I think is needed is a balance of the signal:noise in a 
> manner optimal to the aggregate group of subscribers. How can 
> we manage to achieve an optimal signal:noise ratio? How do we 
> define optimal here? What is relevant?
> 
> I'm open to suggestions.

I think it is a self-balancing ecology. If it gets too out of whack, it
will adjust. If we try to manipulate it, it will become more sick than
any of us think it is already sick. At least it is real and genuine.

To see what you get with regulated conversation, one only has to go
listen to the silence on preservation-L. 

________________________________________________________ 
Dan Becker,  Exec. Dir.   Much like the Lorax who speaks
Raleigh Historic             for the trees
Districts Commission      I speak for the buildings and
[log in to unmask]             even for Mies...
         DISCLAIMER:      ...But my views may not be 
919/890-3678                 RHDC's

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>