[SustainableTompkins] Maintaining list integrity

Fri Nov 17 17:42:13 PST 2006

I agree with Molly's observation about Patricia's post. This is exactly 
the place I would notify folks if I had a room to rent, because I'd want 
someone with similar values related to sustainability. We've always 
supported posts about rentals at Ecovillage; why not other sustainably 
oriented living situations? And I also agree with Molly that we should 
be careful about specificity, and manage the subject line so that 
members can delete what they don't want to read.

While I'm at it, bravo Dan, Karl, and Allison. I so wish we could 
attract representation from among other groups. I think we'd all be 
better off with wider diversity. In fact, I'd like to see better 
representation become one of our primary goals.

Bethany

Molly Brewton wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> Since I'm the one who originally objected to the posting, in should say 
> that, in hindsight, after some clarifying e-mails, it seems like Patricia's 
> intention behind her posting was something that I would think would be 
> appropriate.  It was just not clear to me, from the wording, that that's 
> what she was intending.
> 
> To clarify: I, personally, think it's fine to post an opening for a 
> housemate to this list if the point is made explicitly that you want them 
> to be part of an intentional, sustainably-oriented household.  I was just 
> saying that housemate wanted posts that do not stipulate 
> intentionality--i.e. that one might see at a regular housing bulletin 
> board--do not seem appropriate.
> 
> My two (now four, I guess) cents.
> 
> Molly
> 
> At 02:30 PM 11/17/2006, you wrote:
>> I apologize for the home-mate listing. I had thought of Sustainable 
>> Tompkins as my key community
>> here in Ithaca, and since I'm picky about who I open my home to, and 
>> sustainability is the framework
>> within which I want to share my home, it seemed a good venue. I won't do 
>> anything so personal again.
>> - Patricia Haines
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: GayNicholson at aol.com
>>> I agree that the Sustainable Tompkins listserv is not the appropriate
>>> vehicle for finding a housemate, advertising your business, or 
>> soliciting  support
>>> for causes that, though ultimately connected to a vision 
>> of  sustainability,
>>> are a bit far afield from our original purpose.
>>>
>>> We set up the ST listserv to provide a place to promote local, 
>> regional,  and
>>> even national conferences and events that are related to 
>> sustainability, a
>>> place to share educational articles on sustainability topics, and a 
>> place to
>>> discuss,debate or ask questions about issues confronting the  sustainable
>>> community movement.  The overarching goal is to create a  learning 
>> community so we
>>> can improve our capacity to deal with the  complexity of transitioning 
>> to more
>>> sustainable living.
>>>
>>> Dan Roth suggested we might try a self-administered method of 
>> categorizing
>>> our posts into events, articles, and discussions.  He thought we could 
>> put  in
>>> our subject line a preface such as [article] or [event] to let folks skip
>>> over the kind of post that they don't have time to read.  This may 
>> be  useful.
>>> But I do want to urge people to edit themselves when deciding what 
>> to  post.
>>> If you have a need like finding a housemate, it is perhaps better 
>> to  blind
>>> copy everyone in your address book than to send it to a listserv.
>>>
>>> I am one of the list administrators and I can not volunteer to turn this
>>> into a moderated list because of time constraints.  I already get a 
>> dozen  or
>>> more alerts a day from the server about approving posts from non 
>> members  (mostly
>>> spam lately).
>>>
>>> I hope we can all take a thoughtful approach to keeping this 
>> list  attractive
>>> to the majority of its subscribers.  Many of us occasionally  mess up and
>>> post something not quite on target, or forget and reply to the whole  list
>>> instead of an individual.  We can try and be tolerant of these 
>> lapses  while also
>>> sharing an expectation that we will respect each other's time in 
>> a  saturated
>>> information environment.
>>>
>>> best to all,
>>> Gay
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In a message dated 11/16/2006 4:45:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>>> tjs1 at cornell.edu writes:
>>>
>>> At 03:07  PM 11/16/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>>>> Hi Patricia,
>>>>
>>>> I'm not  talking so much about geography as about subject matter. 
>> ...rest
>>>> deleted...
>>> Dear List Members--I agree whole heartedly with  Jon.  I "owned", for
>>> several years, a large, professionally oriented,  topical mailing list 
>> (600
>>> subscribers!) run off the Cornell  listserv.  Off-topic threads had to be
>>> squelched quickly or I would  have dozens of subscribers resign at once as
>>> they didn't have the time or  inclination to participate in a mailing list
>>> that roamed all over the  place.
>>>
>>> I think it is important to maintain a focus on sustainability  and have
>>> posts on animal conservation, anit-war efforts, etc., be  redirected to
>>> suitable lists or forums.  [Steve, have you considered  setting the 
>> list up
>>> as a monitored list?]  I have enjoyed the list  and have participated in
>>> discussions on and off, but I plow through over  200 e-mails each day and
>>> don't want to waste my time on stuff that isn't  related to 
>> sustainability,
>>> either.
>>>
>>> My $.02.  Tom
>>>
>>> Tom  Shelley
>>> 118 E. Court St.
>>> Ithaca, NY 14850
>>> 607  342-0864
>>> tjs1 at cornell.edu
>>> http://www.myspace.com/99319958
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SustainableTompkins  mailing  list
>>> SustainableTompkins at lists.mutualaid.org
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>> Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D.
>>>
>>> 607-533-7312 (home office)
>>> 607-279-6618  (cell)
>>>
>>> 1 Maple Avenue
>>> Lansing, NY  14882
>>> gaynicholson at aol.com
>>>
>>> Sustainable Tompkins
>>> Program  Coordinator
>>> w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/)
>>>
>>> Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
>>> Regional  Coordinator
>>> Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
>>> 615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
>>> agn1 at cornell.edu
>>>
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>>
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