The questions and answers have changed over the years, so this will be an index page to things people have written, and some history and background.
Always Learning was created in November 2001. When there were 40,000 posts and it was seven years old, I wrote this: 7th Anniversary of the Always Learning List At fourteen years, this: 14th Anniversary of Always Learning discussion at Yahoogroups. Why are you not being supportive?
"You're supposed to help me," or "I need support," is missing the point of the discussion.Why don't you want people to say "Thank you"? It's only polite
Schuyler Waynforth wrote, in 2013:The point of lists like this one are to discuss what makes radical unschooling work. Posts are discussed with that in mind. It isn’t, as often people hope, to support parents coming to radical unschooling to make the leap. It can do, but it is a secondary outcome and not a primary one. This is a discussion of ideas.
Short posts aren't a good use of anyone's time. Many receive Always Learning by e-mail, and don't want to open (and then deal with) an e-mail that says "thanks." or "me too!" or "good idea."Why the objection to "LOL" or "ridiculous"?Every post should be helpful to a large number of people. When that policy is observed, then we assume people will be grateful. :-)
If in the course of writing something helpful you want to acknowledge having especially liked something, then that's not a problem.
Partly, the same objection as to "thank you" standing all alone, but more than that—people are offering up their own time and knowledge to help, and that should not be insulted or lauged at. Not even kind of, or lightly.Anyone who thinks the ideas are "ridiculous" should leave the group (without an indignant huffy goodbye). The problem with "Ridiculous"