[Genealib] (no subject)

[steve]

Drew doesn't owe them an apology; the topic was not appropo for the list 
PERIOD. His original response in opinion was very cordial. If one person is 
allowed to post off topic then it will just snowball into more non relevant 
topics being posted. Just drop it and move on.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Drake" <paulmdrake at gmail.com>
To: <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 2:36 AM
Subject: [Genealib] (no subject)


This discussion is getting out of hand. The original question was from
Ceya Minder where she asked a question about the latest version of
Family Tree Maker and if others on this list had any experience with
it She also asked about how to convert files from older versions. Her
questions seem very appropriate to this list as she was seeking to
obtain information in order to better serve her patrons. She then
received several helpful responses.

Rather than let her questions and answers suffice and be an end of the
discussion, Drew Smith felt compelled to chastise her for asking
questions that he deemed to be off topic. Mr. Walters responded by
questioning what he characterized as a heavy-handed response by Mr.
Smith. Whereupon, Mr. Smith attacked Mr. Walters in rather snide,
sarcastic manner.

I can recall questions in the last year about other software programs
and hardware devices in the past. None of them have received the kind
of remarks from the moderator that hers.  She clearly identified
herself as the librarian for the SEAGHS, which I believe, stands for
Southeast Alabama Genealogical & Historical Society. I think such
identification as one trying to serve her patrons qualifies her to ask
such a question on this list. All of which obviously meet the criteria
of "reference to the function of a genealogy library" and makes her
question germane to this list.

Also, David Walters has stated off list that Drew Smith has now placed
a hold on Mr. Walters’s future postings to this list and will be
reviewing them before they are posted to this list. I find this form
of censorship repugnant and believe that Mr. Smith is acting less as
the moderator and more as a “topic policeman”, none of which serves
the interests of the subscribers of this list.

I went to http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/mailman/listinfo/genealib and
could not find anything that looked like rules for posting on this
list. I can found no references to “the policy of this list is in
regards to what is on topic and what is not”
on that website or in the email that I received when I joined this.

Also, David Walters has stated off list that Drew Smith has placed a
hold on Mr. Walters’s future postings to this list and will be
reviewing them before they are posted to this list. I find this form
of censorship repugnant and believe that Mr. Smith is less as the
moderator and more as a “topic policeman”, none of which serves the
interests of the subscribers of this list.
Lets get back to being librarians serving genealogists.

I think that Drew Smith owes an apology to Ceya Minder and David Walters.

Drew wrote:

First, I give back the same amount of cordiality that I receive.

Second, I do not find it to be especially "cordial" to be told how I
should define my terms.  Instead, I find it argumentative after I have
already stated what the policy of this list is in regards to what is
on topic and what is not.  Making an irrelevant reference to
auto-responders (over which I have no control and which have nothing
to do with the topic of this list) is also other than "cordial".

Third, my response wasn't heavy handed to the person who originally
asked the question.  I responded to the question, while at the same
time pointing out that their question was not suited to this list
(because it made no reference to the function of a genealogy library)
but was better suited to another list (one set up to discuss that
actual software).  I even provided a pointer to the other list.

And finally, my ability to administer this list (which I have done for
nearly 13 years with near-zero complaints and more compliments than I
could count) is also off-topic for this list.

Apologies to everyone else for my having to interrupt the normally
smooth running of this list with a response to a personal attack.
Please do carry on.  (On a relevant topic.)
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