I have become what used to irritate me on this forum...a person who can only manage to update about once a week. Sorry, perhaps times will change so that I can do better but for now, I am a busy bee. Today I worked straight through til I realized my hands were shaking while I typed at 1400. Ran down for some lunch to eat at my desk and was thankful that the swimmy head passed shortly after.

Had an interesting email today which brought up some thoughts I will share here. Please note that I am not interested in arguing this point and I really am intelligent enough to realize there are two sides. This however, is my diary so that is the side you get.

Some elists have active archives while others have chosen to block the archives from view. Why? Generally to protect those who may be carried away by curiosity from reading words that were once written about them.

To this I respond...

1) If you choose to look you better be mature enough to take what you see. We are seldom seen as we think we should be and are often unaware of where we most frustrate others.

2) If you are an elist participant and think you can write something about someone and it be maintained in secrecy or even within its historical framework...that just isn't practical.

3) When it does happen that someone reads something written about them or even written by you about them there is an unfortunate tendency to react in an outward way like, "How could they have said that about me," or "She was never supposed to read that." Seems it is harder to say, "I guess I have some work to do with that person" or "I should have provided that person with my counsel and given them a chance to work it through."

No, the email was not about something I wrote.

If you are on a list it is because you are one of the "haves" or at least you are "in" that crowd. You have a responsibility to usher others equal to your responsibility to offer opinions on others' behavior.

If you are a new member on a list and there is an archive, think carefully before you go there. It cannot be undone.

Instead groups choose to block archives so they can "keep folks from being hurt."

Reminds me of prohibition and any other way that we legislate what can and cannot be viewed by someone else.

Why can't we just be adult about our posts and expect that of our new members?

Yes, there were archives when I joined some groups and No, I did not read my commentary. When I write on such things as pollings, I am cognizant that a win in Crown list will make my comments open to those I did not initially address my comments to.

Such is life the way we live it.