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Sarah --

This is so FASCINATING. (Well, to me, anyway.) After reading your post, I
went on a hunt for the last time I posted here. It was a year ago almost to
the day! January 25, 2001. That was the last one I found, anyway. Around that
time, someone tired of the bickering started a new yahoo list,
unschoolkingdom, and I went over there for a while. A few months later, I
found I was spending too much time online, was on too many lists, and
unsubbed from almost everything. Talk about deja vu! (The bickering and
forming new lists, I mean.)

Anyway -- I think I'm just more likely to be at the computer in Jan/Feb. You
know -- it's cold outside. My husband ice climbs and travels this time of
year, too, leaving me with more time on my hands. He's in Ecuador now,
climbing some volcanoes. I miss him. :( Kids miss him.

So -- I really don't know what's been happening on this list since the last
time I was here. Sounds juicy. Some really nice lists I've been on where
everyone agreed and there was lots of "support and caring" either bit the
dust or got too *huggy* for me.

Laura

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/25/2002 11:02:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Wilkinson6@... writes:

<< But I do come and
read sometimes. I don't read here as much as I use to. I don't like
the direction it's gone. I didn't bring up the subject of the way
this board is, now compared to then. I just commented on it.
Joanna ( the conspirator) >>

Hi Joanna -- What direction? Never mind, I can check the archives, if it
matters. Just don't anybody send me *hugs*, okay?

The "tea party chitchat" (anyone on this list remember THAT discussion) kinda
lists can be nice and warm and leave me with good feelings inside, but I
don't learn anything, I've found. And I get bored. This may be a character
flaw.

Laura

Lorraine Goods

On Sat, 26 Jan 2002 parrishml@... wrote:

>>My husband ice climbs and travels this time of
year, too, leaving me with more time on my hands. He's in Ecuador now,
climbing some volcanoes. I miss him.<<

What volcanoes is he climbing? Cotopaxi? Some of our greatest unschooling
adventures my son and I spent in Ecuador two summers ago. We lived under
an erupting volcano (Tungurahua) in a tiny town in a $1-a-day hotel and
almost didn't make it out bc
the indigenous people (Indians) were getting ready to have a national
strike -- all roads blocked all over the country! Plus there was political
instability bc at the time the currency was changing over to the US dollar
and a lot of folks didn't like that. I was happy to come back home but we
had a great -- albeit somewhat scary -- time.

>>Some really nice lists I've been on where
everyone agreed and there was lots of "support and caring" either bit the
dust or got too *huggy* for me.<<

The best lists I've been on have lasted for years, mostly bc they've
achieved that rare balance of tolerance/hugginess vs. debate/controversy.
Usually, like someone posted earlier, these things go in cycles.

Best,
Lynn

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/26/2002 5:53:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
lg96@... writes:

<< What volcanoes is he climbing? Cotopaxi? >>

Yes! Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and another one I can't remember.:) How old is
your son? I know our 9yo would love to travel with his dad more. Not so the
8yo -- he'd miss Saturday morning cartoons!

<<The best lists I've been on have lasted for years, mostly bc they've
achieved that rare balance of tolerance/hugginess vs. debate/controversy.
Usually, like someone posted earlier, these things go in cycles.>>

Yep. I go in cycles, too. Someone on another (Virginia) list I'm on posted a
piece on the typical life cycle of lists. I may try to find it. It was
interesting.

Laura

[email protected]

Ah, found it! I don't know, some of it rings true, I guess.

THE NATURAL LIFE CYCLE OF MAILING LISTS

Every list seems to go through the same cycle:

1.Initial enthusiasm (people introduce themselves, and gush a lot about
how wonderful it is to find kindred souls).
2.Evangelism (people moan about how few folks are posting to the list,
and brainstorm recruitment strategies).
3.Growth (more and more people join, more and more lengthy threads
develop, occasional off-topic threads pop up).
4.Community (lots of threads, some more relevant than others; lots of
information and advice is exchanged; experts help other experts as
well as less experienced colleagues; friendships develop; people
tease each other; newcomers are welcomed with generosity and patience;
everyone -- newbie and expert alike -- feels comfortable asking
questions, suggesting answers, and sharing opinions).
5.Discomfort with diversity (the number of messages increases
dramatically; not every thread is fascinating to every reader;
people start complaining about the signal-to-noise ratio; person 1
threatens to quit if *other* people don't limit discussion to person
1's pet topic; person 2 agrees with person 1; person 3 tells 1 & 2 to
lighten up; more bandwidth is wasted complaining about off-topic
threads than is used for the threads themselves; everyone gets annoyed).
6.
a.Smug complacency and stagnation (the purists flame everyone who asks
an 'old' question or responds with humor to a serious post; newbies
are rebuffed; traffic drops to a doze-producing level of a few
minor issues; all interesting discussions happen by private email and are
limited to a few participants; the purists spend lots of time
self-righteously congratulating each other on keeping off-topic
threads off the list).
OR
b.Maturity (a few people quit in a huff; the rest of the participants
stay near stage 4, with stage 5 popping up briefly every few weeks; many
people wear out their second or third 'delete' key, but the list lives
contentedly ever after).


- Original author unknown.

Sarah Carothers

On Sat, 26 Jan 2002 06:18:57 EST, parrishml@... wrote:
>Ah, found it! I don't know, some of it rings true, I
>guess.
>
>THE NATURAL LIFE CYCLE OF MAILING LISTS

I *really* enjoyed that! Thanks for finding it again... it was new to me.
--
Sarah Carothers, puddles@... on 01/26/2002


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Cindy

parrishml@... wrote:
>
> Ah, found it! I don't know, some of it rings true, I guess.
>
> THE NATURAL LIFE CYCLE OF MAILING LISTS
>

I'm glad to see this one. The one I've seen is joking but this
one does sum up how lists work pretty well.

--

Cindy Ferguson
crma@...