late unlurking - censorship?

[Kevin Smith <vinnie1@MB.SYMPATICO.CA>]

Greetings All,

I would have posted on "end-of-file" day (9999) but was on the road and out
of touch. A posting has renewed my desire to participate in the discussion

"I have begun to tire of (Insert Name Here)comments--"

and I have to respond - I'm afraid I'm with Dan Robinson on this one. No one
needs to know which postings you save or delete. We're all busy enough with
our own mail management.

As for my unlurking -- it is directly related to the discussion which
ignited this  firestorm that I have returned to the LM_Net list.

I discovered LM_Net when I worked in a small rural elementary school. I went
in with nothing but a lit degree and some experience with social service --
and a strong respect and admiration for children. LM_Net became my daily
seminar in librarianship. A cozy little room full of 9,000 or so of the
leaders in the field (as far as I am concerned). The list was as many have
said - a lifeline - as there was no money for PD or training. I thank all
for your collective wisdom.

I have since moved on to a position with a development group working to
develop greater community and business capacity. My particular role is to
coordinate installations and train others in the latest technology -
networking, IT, applications, --whatever. I dropped off the list because I
was no longer "a librarian" - and I figured I didn't belong.

To make the long story shorter, I rejoined the group less than a month ago
because I realized I was missing out on the wealth of knowledge shared in
this list - it is a great resource for anyone working in the IT field. What
makes it so, is not that the group has but a single viewpoint, but that it
has many. The dynamic and vibrant discussion over common issues is
invaluable - and I believe a skilled and perhaps even visionary moderator is
required to bridle the energy generated by this discussion without allowing
it to descend into the miasma of flame-wars which plagues so many lists.

 As for deleting the messages of a single writer because you are "tired" of
their comments - I say this:

When I was reading the list as an elementary school tech, I posted
occasionally and my sig. file contained a quote from Milton's
ereopagetica  - possibly the definitive work written on censorship and free
speech in the English language - 300 years ago.

"Read all the books thou can - for thou art sufficient to judge for thyself,
" said the blind man, and I agree. I will add a caveat to Milton's sage
advice:

Read the words of those with whom you disagree - for that is what gives you
the depth of experience to judge what is valid for yourself. You do yourself
a dis-service by not reading what is unpalatable, for how will you recognize
the greatness of a single idea if you haven't slogged through the rest in
comparison? I don't recognize the work of Milton as great by reading only
his words, I know him to be great because I have compared him to those who
are not so gifted.

best regards,

Kevin Smith
vinnie1@mb.sympatico.ca
Project Officer - Media & Technology
Parklands Community Futures Development Corporation
http://www.pcfdc.mb.ca
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