oslist core purpose & the exchange of "ideas"

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

I have participated for a number of years in a professional organization that
meets every other month to discuss professional and personal questions that
seem timely.   It's an open system in the sense that anyone may come to
meetings, and come whenever they wish.   Every meeting begins with a brief history of
the organization, and a reminder of the rules--only two:   No marketing or
job-hunting is allowed in the meeting, just a brief announcement of coming
events at the end.   And it is agreed that anything that is discussed in the
meeting, such as designs for professional work, may be used by anyone who
participates in the discussion.

There's no "right or wrong" about these conditions, just a general agreement
that this is the way we want this particular group to operate.   When I look
at how the OSList clarifies our operating principles, I guess it is through the
FAQ document.   So maybe we want to take a look at whether that document
addresses the question of access that we are struggling with.

Personally, I feel that whatever I put on the Internet goes where it goes.
Even without archives or Google, a piece of writing which is moving or helpful
or funny or outrageous is likely to travel a long way by the simple process
of people forwarding to their friends.   That creates a rich interchange with
friends and colleagues--and also some moments of embarrassment when I hit the
wrong button and send what was intended as a personal note to 300+ people.
The Internet is connecting us in ways we have never been connected before, for
better or for worse.   Or, it is making visible the complex network of
connections which has been there all along.

My two cents' worth--

Joelle

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20040330/906e9e8c/attachment-0016.htm>