Re OT: repeat topics

From: <HIPSource@aol.com>

In a message dated 98-08-22 19:58:21 EDT, you write:

<< Certain topics come around again and again, either according to the 
 season, or simply because new people have joined the list. It is one 
 thing to point the new member to the archives for information, but we 
 should remember that the earlier discussion lacks one important detail, 
 and that is input from the new listers. New people often have new ideas. 
 Older listers may have come up with new thoughts or learnt something new 
 in the meantime.  There is always room for topics to be re-discussed, even if
only to 
 re-inforce what was said previously. >>

Even this construct is a repeat. And I obviously agree with it since in
October of 1997 I said this:

<< We think, however, that it is to be expected that some questions will recur
 from time to time, and this is good. Gardening is a cyclical activity and 
 problems emerge anew with the cycles. Recurring questions simply means that 
 there are recurring cultural problems or unresolved questions about something
 or other. The recurrence of the problem is interesting in itself, as may be 
 the persistence of the issue. Nor is the list population static. Old folks 
 drift off, and new folks come aboard. People are looking for solutions and 
 want to tap the collective wisdom. Among the members of the list are 
 wonderful pockets of expertise on all sorts of interesting things and we are 
 continually amazed about the high class information that emerges. So we don't
 mind recurrent discussions of questions that have been discussed previously, 
 even those which would appear to have received comprehensive treatment. New 
 insights may become available at any moment from this flowing, growing 
 collection of individuals, all with their own unique experiences to share.
>>>

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com  

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