META off-topicality/Re: This list

[Guest guest]

This topic comes up periodically, and the consensus has always been

that the serendipitous and unpredictable interactions of our

ineffable life-based orbits defies deterministic circumscription, and

defines its own category of discourse. (Okay, I'm not quoting anyone

exactly here!) However, lest we lapse into lackadaisacalness, there

are two details that loom large. One being well-implemented already

at the hands of our wisely minimalistic, yet mighty leader,

Idol, who instituted the invaluable POLITICS tag. The other being an

ongoing area of concern with--how shall we say--considerable

opportunities for improvement, none other than the incredibly

**simple** act of thoughtfully inserting accurate key words in the

subject lines of posts. I very happily skip over many posts with the

POLITICS tag or a subject line that doesn't interest me. It's a

small burden for the fecundity of our interpersonal synergies.

All that aside, I have to admit I sort of regret getting embroiled in

the fairly unproductive recent exchanges on gay marriage, and I've

been ignoring this religious debate of the past few days. I think

religion is too important and core to our self-identities to be fair

game in this context; as much as the young and idealistic

logic/science types like and me are compelled otherwise, there

is nothing to gain from these debates and we risk compromises to the

supportive community atmosphere that ranks as the highest desideratum

for the list in my view.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

--- In , " Fern " <readnwrite@f...>

wrote:

> Leann,

>

> In spite of my heavy involvement the last week or so in a very off

topic

> thread, I very much agree with you. I would so much welcome having

> political and religious topics banned from this list. Both usually

create

> more heat than light, and detract immensely from the purpose of the

list

> IMO. Not just because of the heat, but because of the volume of off

topic

> mail that you have to do something with to get to the " real " posts.

>

> So yeah, I put my vote with yours, if a vote is being taken or

matters to

> anyone.

>

> I thought that someone (Heidi?) had a while back created a

corresponding

> political list. Did that die or is it still going?

>

> ~ Fern

>

>

> Re: POLITICS - marriage symbolic of Christ and the

Church? -

> Suze

>

>

> > Several years ago I belonged to a list that often encountered lots

> > of " off topic " threads that would spin from our on topic threads.

> > So we finally decided that a secondary list would meet the needs

of

> > the secondary threads. Then everyone who wanted to was invited to

> > jump over to the secondary list to enjoy all the varied

discussions,

> > or not.

> >

> > Again not to be a spoilsport, especially as a daily digest reader

> > there are lots and lots of off topic (how we can achieve radiant

> > health using the work of Weston Price and Sally Fallon's

_Nourishing

> > Traditions_) threads, so many so that I will go for weeks at a

time

> > not participating on this list because it's more work to wade

> > through all the e-mail, even in digest form, looking for on topic

> > threads.

> >

> > Is anyone else having similar feelings about this, or is it just

> > me? (Or have all my compatriots who feel similarly already

deleted

> > this message because of the title?)

> >

> > Leann