[meteorite-list] Tom foolery and loosing valued members

[Michael Blood]

Hi Ruben and all,
        Good input. However, there are other factors to consider:
The list was MUCH more conflicted 10 years ago (can you imagine
It is actually LESS conflicted now?) We had Michal Casper (oh, what
Fun he was), Michael Farmer periodically going "mad dog" and
A several others that have been permanently removed for attacks
And/or obscenity. 
      Can you IMAGINE what it would be like if it all went back to that?
      It is too bad when people drift off course and 80 others jump into
The fray debating tangential issues ad infinitum. I agree. However,
It truly is better than 10 years ago.
        It is a shame when old members opt out. I, for one, have learned
Not to follow threads of little interest; which leads me to a request I
Have made in the  past, the violation of which I think is quite rude and
very common: CHANGE THE TITLE IN THE SUBJECT BOX WHEN
A THREAD CHANGES. This one element alone would allow everyone
Not interested in a given topic to skip ALL posts with the subject box
As is - however, I find I HAVE to check every few postings regardless
Of the subject box topic, as people  (most - not a few, but most people)
Do NOT change the subject box when they change the subject!
Please, please do so for the sake of the list members who will NOT read
Your post if your post has a subject in the box with which they feel
saturated.
        That said, we all owe a tribute to Art for maintaining an even keel
and allowing as much freedom as possible while not letting things get
(and stay) hard core funky.
        Here's to Art!
        Thanks, Michael


On 11/24/10 9:40 PM, "Ruben Garcia" <mrmeteorite at gmail.com> wrote:

> I remember (years ago) when the M-list was the first place I came to
> when I had a question, an idea or (in the rare occasion) an answer. I
> remember when I was shocked that everyone I met in the world of
> meteorites seemed helpful, friendly and intelligent.
> 
> I long for those days. Especially when I hear that yet another person
> that had so much to offer was sent packing because of a few with
> poison pens.
> 
> Believe it or not there was a time when people like Darryl Pitt, Jim
> Kriegh, Mike Farmer, Geoff Notkin, Rob Matson were all over this
> forum. They shared freely to all that would listen to their insight,
> wit, and experience. It was a time when people respected those that
> obviously knew more. It¹s not that they knew more because they were
> rocket scientists (well except for Rob, cause he is) More often than
> not they were well respected because they actually did what the rest
> of us only dreamed of doing.
> 
> I admit I don¹t know what (specifically) happened to make Tom leave.
> However, I do know that when we loose someone like him we are probably
> doing something wrong!
> 
>  It seems now that the inmates are running the asylum. I don¹t know
> how we went from delving into the science of meteorites to exploring
> the myth of dowsing rods - or why a rare find by someone like Sonny
> Clary is eclipsed by such rubbish. All I know is this is not fun
> anymore.
> 
> Sue me, throw me overboard, or shoot me, I don¹t care. If we don¹t
> stop this moronic, pathetic, 3rd grade style chastening of eachother
> this list wont be worth the cyber paper it¹s not written on!
> 
> P.S.
> 
> Thank God for the few that endure through it all: Mike (Rocks from
> Space) Paul and Jim (Meteorite Times) Larry and Nancy