[BNU] Emergency admin's letter (please read): respect other members, respect guidelines, respect authority
- From: "Joseph Lee" <joseph.lee22590@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <braillenote@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 10:55:48 -0800
Dear BrailleNote Users list members:
Hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend.
I have enjoyed reading all sorts of posts, starting from KeySoft 9.4
previews to browsers on other products and so on. However, as a result of
recent posts, it has become clear (to admins and others) that there are some
things that should be brought forth before you: respect. Specifically, I
would like to talk about three respectable areas: people, guidelines and
authority.
Before I begin, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our new members. We
hope you're enjoying your stay on this list. Please remember that the
replies will go to sender - if you'd like to see your replies here, please
use reply to all function in your email pages/clients. Thanks.
Now to the topic at hand:
First of all, I'm glad that there is a support list for a product like
BrailleNote. This allows users around the world to sit down together and
talk about various aspects of a product, namely new releases,
troubleshooting tips and so on. However, what good is this when there is no
respect among members? So I would like to kindly advise that we think about
two things in regards to respecting others: am I here to serve and learn,
and are my posts and attitudes reflect how I wish to be treated. Without
respect for other members (especially when people say to stop something),
there would be chaos, right?
Second, it has been brought up both onlist and offlist that we have a number
of users who continuously find ways of getting around loopholes in the
guidelines. Personally, I am willing to forgive off-topic posters, but the
topic of respecting the guidelines is such an importance that I would like
to say something about it here: please respect guidelines set forth for this
list, especially when it comes to off-topic posts. Specifically: we do allow
occasional comparisons between products, but excessive posts about browsers
installed on other products and how to use it to download something is, in
my humble opinion, off-topic (and Alex asked that the topic in question be
closed, so please respect his words), since it might be confusing for new
users.
Lastly, we have moderators for a good reason: to serve as your servants in
list-related matters and to try their best as negotiator among members. I
can say that both mods on this list are busy with our lives as well (Alex is
doing some podcasts and what not, and I'm a part-time contributor to NVDA
project). Despite our busy lives, what helps us enjoy our given job as
moderators here is the passion that people display for BrailleNote and some
useful potential of BrailleNote family. And one thing we can say is that we
do not wish to be dictators, imposing moderation for no reason, and since we
want to be your servants and sometimes negotiators, we often ask kindly for
compliance with guidelines (personally, I don't say harsh things against
members, partly because I want to show respect, and partly to show that I'm
a fellow list member like you). But one thing to remember is this: please
respect authority, not as people to be worshiped, but out of respect for
fellow list members and guidelines.
In conclusion, there is a saying I like which describes mailing lists (which
applies to our conduct): we are the living billboards. In other words,
whatever we say or do will clearly show up somewhere - through list
archives, through mentions by other users, talks amongst members themselves
and so on. But not only this, but whatever our conduct is, it'll leave a
greater impression on the product itself: BrailleNote family of products (as
much as the device itself leaves impressions behind, one's perspective of a
device also depends on its users, and in this case, our conduct).
So as we go through this weekend, let us stop for a second and think about
our conduct on the list for the past few weeks, and let us also think about
our conduct in relation to how our conduct would represent the product we
use to the world.
Thanks.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Joseph Lee
University of California, Riverside
One of the BrailleNote Users list admins
Other related posts:
