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Message 1
From: "Robert Viana"
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 11:41:38 -0200
Subject: [Baren 31713] Re: Mike Lyon: Large Scale Drawings and Woodblock Prints
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Mike!
You leave me speachless! (that is very hard to do, by the way)
I would love to see one of those large prints in person, though I am just to far away.
Congrat!
Rob

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Message 2
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 10:40:25 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31714] message from the moderator
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I've gotten a few complaints (and one request to unsubscribe) this
morning about the posting and re-posting of "me too" type of messages
on the list. Please, if you are congratulating someone, agreeing with
someone or those kinds of short posts - send them directly to the
original poster. We are all happy about our fellow printmaker's
successes - but we don't need to read & re-read congratulations
fromeveryone. Remember there are about 400 baren forum members.
Imagine what it would belike if everyone on the list congratulated each
success by posting "congratulations" to the list. We would have whole
digests composed of nothing but "congratulations" messages.

Please re-read the posting guidelines here: http://barenforum.org &
click on 'posting guidlines'. If you have any problems in directing
your posts, contact me & I'll try to help.

Thanks,
Wanda
Barenforum moderator

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Message 3
From: Charles Morgan
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:57:01 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31715] Re: message from the moderator
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What a pity ... people must lead very small lives if they cannot bear
to read, or just delete, half a dozen or so congratulatory messages.

Maybe we should just ban folks from posting anything about successes
they have had so no one would be tempted to congratulate them.

How totally inane .... Phooooeeeyyy on such mean spiritedness .....

Cheers .... Charles

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Message 4
From: David Harrison
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:15:24 +0100
Subject: [Baren 31716] Re: message from the moderator
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Absolutely. It suggests a poverty of spirit. It also turns the group
from one that was welcoming into one where backs have to be watched
because a silent, disapproving minority watches and takes notes. Which
may be fine at school or in an especially toxic workplace, but not among
mutually supportive adults.

Bandwidth just isn't that expensive these days (and if it is, how about
subscribing to the digest?), and this list doesn't portray itself as
merely a working tool. A certain level of social chatter is both normal
and necessary among fully functional human beings.

As a newbie I considered myself lucky to be a member until that message.
Now I'm considering quitting.

David H

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Message 5
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 11:24:00 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31717] Re: message from the moderator
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Please folks, go and *read* the posting guidelines. They are very
clear. If my message sounded mean-spirited or silently disapproving, I
am sorry. But that's what a moderator tries to do - keep the forum as
it was intended to be. There are plenty of unmoderated lists out
there. Many of our members are here because they have been on those
unmoderated lists before.

Thank you for your consideration,
Wanda
baren forum moderator

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Message 6
From: David Harrison
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:38:02 +0100
Subject: [Baren 31718] Re: message from the moderator
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Rules is rules? Fair enough, though I can't say I'm thrilled at the
idea, or agree that moderation should work that way.

If anyone wants somewhere to chat while discussing their work, just
holler. I have enough spare web space and some mailing list capacity.

cheers,

David H

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Message 7
From: "Ellen Shipley"
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 11:46:38 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31719] Re: message from the moderator
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Hi David,

There is such a place already and it is very friendly. 8-] It's called
After Five baren-after5@ml.asahi-net.or.jp and we do nothing but chat there.
;-] On and off topic.

I was directed there when I was too exuberant in my congratulations for
someone at some time. I feel much more comfortable posting there than here,
frankly.

Ellen

print blog:
http://pressing-issues.blogspot.com/
sketch blog:
http://thepickledpen.blogspot.com/
dog blog:
http://dogblog-catchat.blogspot.com/

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Message 8
From: David Harrison
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:51:43 +0100
Subject: [Baren 31720] Re: message from the moderator
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Hi Ellen,

That sounds good!

Humm...actually checking back I had already subscribed to After Five a
week or two ago and haven't received any messages. Sort of assumed it
was moribund. Has there been much activity there lately?

cheers!

David

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Message 9
From: "Carolyn & John Ramsey"
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 12:11:37 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31721] Re: message from the moderator
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You can always go to Baren after 5 if you want personal stuff.

Carolyn

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Message 10
From: "Matt Laine"
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 15:15:45 -0400
Subject: [Baren 31722] Re: message from the moderator
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Bravo!
Matt Laine
http://mattssculptureplus.blogspot.com/

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Message 11
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 12:17:57 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31723] Re: message from the moderator
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Thank you Matt! I really didn't expect so many people to get up in
arms about this - it has been an
ongoing problem. I'm a very talkative person - so I understand, but
when it gets this bad......

Thanks,
Wanda

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Message 12
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 14:44:05 -0500
Subject: [Baren 31724] Re: message from the moderator -Julio's reply...
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Ha,ha....Wanda...what;'s that saying ....everything in life is good for
you with a little 'moderation' ??? ;-)

I am guilty of posting recent 'me too' messages when I got my package of
exchange 28 prints from Sharen, then when I got Maria's cairn block, then
once again when I congratulated Mike on his exhibit opening....I was going
to congratulate Lynita on her show also but I did not want to triple post
on the same day...Ha !, I think I just heard the moderator go on a lunch
break so I'll sneak it in here.... (Congrats Lynita, way to go with those
quilts !!!!)

Anyways, just wanted to say that when Dave Bull and I put the Baren blog
together last year we felt that this was a perfect tool that could be used
for these type of short comments...in other words redirect some of the
non-essential forum traffic .....we even added categories for Exhibitions,
Announcements, New Members,,,(as a matter of fact if Baren had to be
redone today I am almost certain Dave would do it as a blog and not as a
standard website...it is easier to update and a lot more user
friendly....)

What could be simpler ?...you post to the blog with info on your show, add
photos (which you can't do with the emails), add a link to the gallery or
to your website, etc...or maybe is a blog about that special project
coming up, or a new print you just finished you want to share with
everyone ..click to publish the blog and then send the forum folks an
email to let everyone in the group know about it.....instead of dozens of
'me too' emails flying around people go look at the Baren blog and in
there check out your post and photos and leave you a comment if they
wish..... you as the author of the post get notified every time someone
leaves you a comment, others are free to read the many comments or ignore
them.....the rest of the membership is spared dozens of congratulatory &
'me too' email messages......since the Baren blog (and others listed in
the white sidebar) is tracked for updates daily you don't even have to
send an email out to the group...your blog entry will be posted on the
next Baren blog update sent to the list....!!!!!!!l

The more I think about it....the blog will only become a great tool if we
all start using it: http://barenforum.org/blog/

thanks.....Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois)

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Message 13
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 13:04:55 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 31725] Re: message from the moderator
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David,
Please don't leave. As you know, this is an all volunteer organization. If the moderator, Wanda Robertson, receives 3 or more messages that people are unhappy, she naturally tries to fix it.

We on the council do our best for the 400 members. People should try to post non printmaking things or chatty things on after-5. The main list becomes clogged with non printmaking items, making the job of the archivist, Gayle Wolken, difficult. She tries to filter them out but hates to offend anyone by removing a post and it takes her hours longer to do it every day.

We are of course all pleased when one of our members does well and one of the congratultory messages was mine...sorry Wanda and Gayle. I see both sides of this,
I think people love to hear we are happy for them, but agree after one or two posts of congrats appear on the list, the rest of us should send directly to the person involved.

Many printmakers are working full time at other jobs and posts with no content (like mine, goading Mike a bit) are not what they want to read. We value every member and strive to keep all happy. Sometimes we work too hard to try to please everyone. The list is what we make it and all printmaking posts that tell of struggles and answers to questions are vitally important. When I fist learned to do this waterbased process the answers to my questions and the answers to others questions were so very helpful. The list is meant to help, not hinder or anger anyone.
Best to all,
Barbara, Mall Manager

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