[stylist] OT: Off topic discussions

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

I do agree placing OT in the subject is a good idea, but even without
stating something is off topic, readers can still skip those messages.
And a couple of years ago we agreed to post in the subject what genre
our material was and if there was anything like language or adult
content, but since the decision was made, only a couple of us ever
follow that.

The reason I'm commenting on this at all is because I notice this trend
over and over with NFB email list.  Not everyone participating on each
list is a NFB member, but these list are Federation list, and the first
priority of any Federation group is to further the goals of this
organization and to educate others, and ourselves, about blind related
issues.

Participating on this list, and especially if you are a due paying
member of the division, means you will come across topics that may not
always be about writing.  We certainly should be using this list to its
full potential and placing our writing up for comments as well as
commenting, but please don't forget this is first and foremost a NFB
organization.  Donna had every right to place this info.  It is not her
fault if others choose to discuss it, or if some want to get heated.

I would like to see more writing related dialogue, but I am always
confused as to why posting blind related topics of other natures is
considered wrong?  No one posted a non-blind topic, and this is a
organization of blind people, so where's the problem?

Robert Leslie Newman is the president of the division, and it is his job
to monitor the list, and if he asks us to follow something, we should do
so out of respect for the leader of the group.  We are the NFB, though,
and as a member, we should understand what that means.  The organization
was established to provide the blind with a voice to call society out
for fair and equal treatment, and to educate ourselves and the world
about important goals and initiatives of the NFB.  Donna was merely
following the directives of the Federation.

Bridgit

Message: 21
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 17:49:20 -0400
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Off-Topic Discussions
Message-ID: <d7f5db$353d2d at out01.dlls.pa.frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Natalie,
My apologies. As I stated in my replies to Neil and Paul, I thought
blindness related topics were on topic and wasn't interested in starting
a discussion. I was simply responding to the request of a fellow NFB
member and writer to spread some information.

Too bad we can't talk about stuff that involves how our fellow blind
Americans are trying to advance opportunities for blind people. In this
case, I happen to know that the person would really like some input on
writing petitions and figuring out how to do hash tags on Twitter. Donna