[nabs-l] Pointless Discussions for list

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

What one deems pointless, others view as helpful or interesting. The
topics you mention often deal with a student advertising something not
necessarily intended for a discussion topic, and if you can advertise
for free, why not take advantage of it?

Also, the "pointless" topics you mention haven't led to inappropriate
debates. The 9/11 thread degenerated into nothing resembling a healthy,
productive discussion. And the original post had nothing to do with
politics or religion; some decided to take the post out of context and
use it as an opportunity to assert their political/religious opinions,
which of course encouraged those disagreeing to hop on board. We now
have had posts not only having nothing to do with the original post, but
become about attacking, and defending, political and religious views.

When people post about their music, or blogs, or radio stations, etc. it
doesn't turn into a mud-slinging, controversial debate having nothing at
all to do with blindness or school, nor does it allow for heated,
inappropriate comments, often personal and offensive in nature.

I've been on other list where it was decided that if posting something
off-topic, then you should put "off-topic" in the subject field. Perhaps
this list should follow suit.

While I agree it's the moderator's job to call anyone out for
inappropriate behavior or posts, one would assume, especially on a list
with people concerned with academics, we would have the cognitive
ability to know when we have gone to far, and what is a post containing
material that instigates and demeans, but in light of current threads,
this is apparently not always the case.

So, as long as post are not supporting an anarchy of sorts on the list,
I say shut-up and skip messages if you find them pointless.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

Message: 23
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:41:58 -0400
From: <frandi.galindo at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Wanting to be off the 9/11 thread
Message-ID: <0AC49DF1AD284731AED3A9E58B6AB0D4 at OwnerPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

Ok, I agree with you about wanting to keep this list to school, and
student 
related issues, but you can't really stop the topics that people want to

discuss.  I have seen anouncements about radio shows, radio stations,
people 
talking about their music, and the music that they created.  It is
pointless 
to try to ask someone to stop talking about something, they will stop on

their own volition.  It is up to who ever monetors this list to stop,
and 
control the topics that are discussed on this list.