list etiquette

Mon Jun 15 06:05:58 PDT 2009

Hi Esther and all who have chimed in here,
I have been reading the threads knotted together here and have a thought to
add.  I don't think the issue here is the word etiquette.  The thread
diverged around the original subject line  Open Space Opened Badly.

      "I can just say in my own case, that I just had so much difficulty
seeing myself being part of a session called "Open Space defined badly"
    that I created a new one...

I think everyone understands the efficiency of keeping the same subject line
for the same thread.  Seems to me that people intentionally change it  as
the subject changes over time or in Raffi's case because he didn't want to
sign on to the original tone.  This is not an IT list this is the OST list.
There was no breach of etiquette for the OST list.  This was to accommodate
Kaliya's preference, no matter how efficient and sensible that preference
is, it is still a preference.  People prioritize their preferences by
different needs.  For me it is important to leave space for lots of
different dances.  I learn new steps that way.
Pat Black

On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 7:45 AM, Esther Ewing <ewingchange at gmail.com> wrote:

>  Hi all:
>
> When we think about it, and as we think about it, I think we should try to
> honor (or honour) Kaliya’s request. One of the things that I have noticed on
> this list is how welcoming we are to newcomers and how often, they post a
> request for information that has been discussed a lot in the past. No one
> seems to mind reposting links to various kinds of information that has been
> posted before and we are quick to suggest that they go to various websites
> and search for past threads. In fact we are very generous with this. How
> much easier might it be if we kept our subject lines consistent with the
> topic that inspires them?
>
>
>
> The reaction against this might have to do with the word “etiquette”. The
> word’s history is described in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary where
> it suggests a routine, a procedure and even the mechanism or ticket by which
> a French soldier might find his billet.  It then comes to mean something
> that represents honour (or honor) and a sign that someone knows how to do
> something (usually someone in the French court and therefore upper classes).
>
>
>
> In our North American and indeed Western and more modern view of things,
> the word “etiquette” has grown to mean the rules of correct behaviour (or
> behavior) and that implies that someone or some authority is trying to
> impose those rules (in my youth it was my parents, now it is largely my own
> conscience, but also the law) and in a kind of way, Open Space was formed to
> get around formerly binding and constricting conventions and get rid of as
> many rules as we could in order to allow people to self-organize. But OS is
> not lawless. There are rules and principles that allow for OS to flourish.
>
>
>
> In my humble opinion, we should honour (or honor) Kaliya’s request. I do
> not think it is an unreasonable one nor do I think she is trying to impose
> anything. And it is simply a request.
>
>
>
> My two cents…
>
>
>
> Esther
>
>
>
> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Kaliya
> *
> *Sent:* Monday, June 15, 2009 1:58 AM
> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Subject:* Re: [OSLIST] list etiquette
>
>
>
> FINE!
>
> You guys can have your own "reality" of list etiquette.
> I live in the tech world....and people work and do business and change the
> world developing common standards and work via mailing lists.
>
> Keeping threads clear and not dividing them is an important part of helping
> these communities function and work together. It is like having a session
> that is going well and then for no apparent reason dividing it into multiple
> sessions mid way through......not cool (this is assuming the conversation is
> coherent and going well)
>
> While you all are SO focused on face to face processes of OST (and other
> things) you are forgetting that some have develped amazing cultures and
> learning for connecting and sharing online. It is from these practices and
> sharing that I make this request.
>
> I make a simple request that is not specific to "your" list serve it is
> respectful of mailing list community practice generally...I am pointing it
> out so you can stop doing it. If you choose not to FINE but it is
> disresepctful of the conversation and people like me who start threads only
> to find them split off for no good reason....in technical communities you
> can have threads that are 80+ posts long this is good cause if you are going
> back to read them in archives or even reading them the first time in a
> reader like google they all come out in order.
>
>
> I suggest you add a #12 to the etiquette guide about not splitting list
> threads a part...
>
> Thanks.
> -Kaliya
>
>  On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 9:59 PM, Raffi Aftandelian <raffi at bk.ru> wrote:
>
> Kaliya,
>
> I hear you'd like folks to follow list etiquette.
>
> ("etiquette" FAQ here:
>
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?FrequentlyAskedOSLISTQuestions)
>
> I've been on this list for some 8 years now, love it, (most of the time
> it's
> a pretty amicable place except when a few of us go off the deep end) and am
> not sure how much luck anyone has had for people to write or post things
> differently.
>
> Perhaps like herding bees?
>
> I can just say in my own case, that I just had so much difficulty seeing
> myself being part of a session called "Open Space defined badly" that I
> created a new one...
>
> bzzzzzzzzzzzzz
>
> wormly,
> wroffi
>
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