re: OT: subj. headings, archives

From: Pooreplace@aol.com

Good Evening Gentle Iris people...   

Sorry, I cannot sit on this any longer...  The time has come for me to speak 
my mind.    >> On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 at 03:21  janclarx@hotmail.com wrote: 
> (responding to this message from person not identified:) 

>>I don't know what you mean here. I did put "Seedy Saturday" as the topic 
>for my 2nd posting, and "Hello again" for the first. What are you saying 
>you want?  Oh - you want the OT added...how anal..I would think that Seedy 
>Saturday would be enough of a wording.

(Jan's response)  >> When you join the iris list, you get sent a list of 
subject 
> headings. We are fortunate on this list, to have a very functional 
archives, stored > at: www.Mallorn.com/lists/iris-talk

> This archive is sortable, and searchable, and we help it to function 
effectively by 
> putting the correct (to the best of our abilities) subject headings, in a 
format that 
> the search machine can cope with.  The archives is a valuable asset to this 
list,
> and contains much wisdom and almost as much useless material.

> Also, for those of us, who like to be online for as short a part of the day 
as
>  possible, it is great to be able to scan through, and delete any 
uninteresting
> headings. Like Anner, I delete almost all OT's and most mailings that have
> obviously changed subject but retained the old heading.

> Hope this helps, and I'm sorry to hear that you did't feel a welcome part 
of 
> the list. This is an excellent list, with virtually no flaming, or personal 
> criticisms. Worth staying on for the ride.  Cheers, Jan Clark, Australia  >>

Jan...  I hope you haven't already deleted this message because it started 
out with an OT, but to save myself, I just replied to the one you were 
already using (which surely makes it correct...)  

I read through all the digests of the past few days where this original 
message about Seedy Saturday (which like many memorable messages on iris-talk 
--- was probably directed back to one individual rather than the whole list) 
but I could not determine exactly who had made the remark...  If I knew, I'd 
have sent them a personal commendation for they are absolutely 100% right on 
the mark (IMHO, of course.)   And, for Mike Lowe, I'm not being brave here, 
I'm being blunt.

Folks have asked why I dropped off iris-talk for so many months and only 
returned after Ruth Simmons sudden passing.  I'm caught at a tired moment 
here and am afraid I'm telling all!   So either stand back now or delete...  

First:  I got really tired of coming home from work nearly every night to a 
frequent scathing post from someone (and not just one person or list leader) 
chastizing me for screwing up the Topic Line...  Now, I'm not ignorant.  I 
read the rules & briefly studied the topic lines when I joined, (and EVERY 
time they got resent to me) but PALEEEEZ !  It should NOT have to take a Ph.D 
to be able to post to the iris-talk list !!!  My Masters degree should be 
PLENTY sufficient to be able to painlessly and guiltlessly communicate on 
iris-talk...  I was a near daily poster in my internet beginnings (circa Sept 
'98) and simply got tired of having to don my asbestos shorts every day in 
order to open and read my messages...  If I'd wanted more stress and being 
thrown into the fire, I know where to go for that.   

I'm so used to the well run and terifically organized Daylily list (with 
nearly 1000 members and some 1500 to 3000 lines posted daily from an average 
of 30 to 40 daylily people) where you speak your piece (once a day), drop in 
the most appropriate subject line (or respond to the one already in use) and 
GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE !   You aren't made to feel like you are little 6 year 
old defenseless Johnny who just dropped his first grade reader in the mud 
puddle while sliding off the bus in the pouring rain...  I would have dropped 
off the list much sooner had it not been for the blessed Ruth Simmons 
laughing hysterically, over and over, and cajoling me every time it 
happened...  And some of you wondered why we were talking long distance on a 
DAILY basis!?!  It wan't JUST the upcoming National Conventions OKC was 
hosting...   

Once Ruth died, (and wasn't there anymore to keep me up on any possible 
important iris-talk news) I didn't want to be left totally in the dark, (I've 
had trouble convincing other metro OKC friends to get onto the iris list) but 
I have to admit I mainly got back on (and stay on) just to keep up with 
mostly iris news in the earth shattering category...  That which neither 
newsletters nor the BULLETIN can timely report.  

Second:   Jan, I understood the message you spoke about in the very same way 
you did (about deleting all the OT Posts or messages with uninteresting 
headings), and please don't think I'm taking a stab at you, for that is 
certainly not my purpose.  I am simply standing up for myself and the many 
who have had their feelings hurt, or been 'whacked with the ruler' to the 
point they are either totally off the list or so deep into lurker status it 
would take a backhoe to get them out.  I've gotten many private messages over 
the last year and a half about this very thing and know there are several out 
there...  

I am sorry so many apparently delete out all the OT or 'uninteresting heading 
posts', cuz you're probably missing out on some noteworthy things...  When I 
scan the digests, I run (cursor down) through the whole thing (even if the 
topics didn't shake me) from message 1 to the end checking for important, 
informative, or newsworthy notes...  Frequently I find things I would have 
missed had I planted my crops based on merely the topics (or pseudo Table of 
Contents such that it is...)       
For those who skip this process (which can sometimes be all done in 30 
seconds to a couple of minutes) I'm sure they would complain about the 
archives.  But, if they'd read through to begin with they wouldn't have to go 
checking them after the fact.  I myself, would only use the archives to go 
back to something I couldn't remember exactly.  

Third: Jan, where you say there is virtually no flaming or personal 
criticisms, I must again cry foul...  But Jan, if you missed reading them 
(since many are sent privately) get on your knees right now and consider 
yourself blessed!  Your hair would have been scorched to the roots!   I can't 
even label many of the ones that were sent to me as "personal criticisms"...  
They were flat out personal attacks as well as rude, embarassing, 
humiliating, none of their business, and way out of line.  

If that person had a complaint about what I discussed or shared on iris-talk 
they should have taken it up with John Jones (or his designee) and had him 
discipline me if misconduct or inappropriateness was adjudged...   I took 
this from considering I would/might receive 6 to 8 thank you's or kind 
responses regarding that very message as opposed to this one invariably 
scathing one...  And, this was not a one time happening.  

As far as what was going on with me and my posts, Ruth and I finally 
determined that this list we enjoyed so much was obviously 
goverened/scruitinized by some sort of iris-talk police (or someone who had 
designated themself as such) and adaptation to this process either had to be 
made or you (I) simply had to get outa the kitchen...  So, for several 
months, I did just that.  

Therefore, I operate in a totally different mode these days...  At my dear 
parted friend's urging, I blocked all e-mail from the main one particular 
negative and admonishing culprit well over a year ago.   Second, I don't get 
heavily involved with the list (oops! except I guess for tonight! )  Third: I 
have sent consoling messages to anyone I see get slammed (like happened to 
me) and encourage them not to pull the plug on the list but also not to wear 
their feelings on their shirt sleeves as unfortunately, there always seems to 
be one in the bunch to mess up a good thing.  For Goodness sakes, irises are 
an awesome hobby capable of providing much pleasure to all of us around the 
entire world and in Heaven's Name this iris-talk list should be FUN!  If it's 
not fun, why on earth do it??? 

From one who enjoys reading several of the intelligent and informative posts 
(on WHATEVER) that come through the iris-talk digest and who tries to 
remember to turn the other cheek as well as not to call attention or cause 
embarassment to any person(s) on the list who inadvertantly post the list 
with scandalous or incredibly slang and profane material when intending to 
respond privately which resulted in them making a total and unobliterated 
fool out of themselves...  Sermon over...

Irises are up and greening here and multiplying like wildfire.  We need rain. 
 The 8 to 10 inches of snow is now but a memory as we had 70's with near 80's 
this past week.  Crocus abound and daffodils are beginning to sing their 
praises...  My FEBRUARY GOLD burst into bloom this past Friday and dozens 
more are opening daily.  I can't wait for the other 40 to 50 daffodil 
varieties I grow to get into the swing.  For with that, IRIS season is never 
far behind!  Looking forward to hearing Rick Tasco and Hooker Nichols in 
Tulsa come March and cannot wait to get to meet and hear Luella Danielson who 
will be right here in OKC April 8th...  

Thanks Kathy Guest for doing such a good job on all you do including the AIS 
BULLETIN sightings (and all those poor people who mistakenly sent them via 
the list rather than privately to you) as well as the teriffic job you are 
doing on the Speakers Notification.  As I'm sure you know, on the Daylily 
side, there is a man down in TX who posts all the events for the whole year 
all over the country by date on his website.  It is sure handy.  Folks just 
send him the info & he copies it over.

Cheers and Happy Valentines to all... and Thanx for letting me speak my piece 
(for those who made it all the way to the end here...  )  

Kath in OKC..... =^.^=     alias:  Kathy Poore in Oklahoma City, OK...
 AIS Region 22,  USDA Zone 7...  
 Member of a lotta iris groups, too many to list and clutter up the archives 
with.  :-)   

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