[extropy-chat] Reccommendations for a mailing list

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Feb 09, 2005 at 07:53:42PM -0500, Dan Clemmensen wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> I would like to subscribe to a mailing list that focuses on topics 
> related to the
> impact of science and technology on humanity, with an emphasis on major
> and potentially positive changes, such as nanotech and AI.  I would 
> expect such
> a list to attract brilliant and innovative people, and I would expect 
> that on such a list
> the majority of the posts would be positive, insightful, and future-focused.
> 
> Does anyone know where I can find such a list?

I've personally seen several of such lists die. If there's one I'm yet
unaware of I'm reasonably sure it won't last very long. We can delay the
inevitable with some care and feeding, though.

But that's not for us to decide, because collectively we can't.

Here's an excellent observation from a yet another great list that's running
into the same problems as any public forum lately:

[snip]

I would disagree.  I'm seeing a similar deterioration in many mailing
lists technical and political.  There seems to be little or no
acceptance of differing opinions.  Ideas are cast out as being "wrong"
when they are merely not the way they would do them.

I would argue that the adversarial style is tracking the rise of the
neocons in political circles.  Is there connection?  Possibly.  I
believe most technologists are mimics seeking ascendancy by copying the
patterns of those in charge

as a result, I rarely participate in mailing lists except to ask
questions and give back what I have found.  Usenet is a dead resource to
me, as our most forums etc.  I'm probably within a year or two of
eliminating e-mail from my life except for essential business
communications.

> I don't know if Eugen's "poor stewardship" comment was directed
> my way, but in any event I feel the guilt of having allowed this
> deterioration. I was counting on individual/collective restraint
> among the list members and not enough of that has been in evidence.

you allowed the deterioration in the same sense that one allows a flash
flood.  I think it's a bigger change, a loss of civility, a
deterioration of public manners, and a general intolerance that is the
more likely cause.

no blame

> The list is now on moderation. I don't know what I'll do going
> forward. It's possible I will simply disband the Irregulars.

it would be a pity but it is your prerogative.  You could also ask the
irregulars for moderation volunteers.  I think that it might also make
sense to turn this into a moderated list for discussion topics and Steve
has some wherewithal (or some other kind funder), we could modify
mailman to direct follow-ups to a quicktopic.

[snip]

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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