Note the purposely changed subject line. If someone at bookshare reads this and can remove the thread from the archives, I think it would be a good idea. I joined this list after someone looking for me dropped a note and it showed up in a google alert I have set to track my last name, something I did to follow my aunt's adventures as a published writer. Every time I post to this list, though, I now get an alert about it. It's the only email list I'm on where the messages actually show up this way, which means it is more public than other lists, but most lists can fairly easily be accessed. I try to be careful that whatever I say anywhere, where ever my name pops up, it is something I don't mind being public. I don't mind anyone knowing that someone else is looking for me, but that seems to me to be the limit of what's respectful. If someone were, say applying for a job, and an employer found a discussion like the one that just happened here, it could mess up their life. And as we see, that would have been for improper reasons.
As an aside, for anyone who gets indignant about who does or doesn't join this list or leave an email address, I think your quibble might better be with the way these measures are phrased, and not with the volunteers in question. If it had been stated on the site that it was strongly recommended that someone leave an email address, I would have. It sounded like a casual thing and at the moment I couldn't think why someone would want to contact me. It was not very descriptive. The suggestion that people might like to join this list is also just that. It doesn't say that it's part of the job. Personally, I think it's for good reasons. I'd probably get more useful work done if I hadn't started to read all this mail. If I were in a paid job I don't think any boss I've ever worked for said "there's an assignment on your desk if you feel like doing it." It is definitely not stated in any clear terms that leaving an email address or joining this list are integral parts of the job and it's up to the employer to state otherwise if that changes.
Lynn
