Thinking about unsubscribing from sd-callers

[bjarvis]

Is it just me or has the bitchy signal-to-noise ratio of the sd-callers mailing list skyrocketed just lately?

The past two weeks seem to have been a nearly continuous stream of personal insults between supposedly professional callers concerning either individuals' calling practices, club activities, or communication skills. Only Ruth Riegelhaupt-Herzig and Clark Baker seem to have been rising about the crowd somewhat to discuss issues rather than hurl personal insults.

After catching up on reading last night, I almost fired off an unsubscribe request. I don't have spare time to deal with such silliness. Still, there is occasionally a redeeming post, so I'm holding off for a couple of days. Perhaps things will improve. Perhaps my tolerance will increase. Perhaps I'll just use a kill filter. :-^

Comments

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Charlie Robertson and I had a conversation Friday in Denver about this very thing. If you ping a "who" on the list, you'd find there are hundreds of callers on the list. Out of those masses who get the emails, maybe 20 respond. I used to, but I'm of the same mind frame. I've unsubscribed a few times, myself.

Yes, doesn't it seem that the most vocal are the illiterate and uninformed? I've been on the list for at least 11 years, and SOMETIMES there is good content and interaction. Clark Baker is surely the exception, but that must be that he's a glutton for ANY writen word about social dance. A number of dancers/callers we both know have been on and off the lists. Stewart Kramer used to be on a lot as the "Square Dance Guru" giving advice and commentary in a wonderfully light and thoughtful way.

Mostly I "delete, delete, delete".

Maybe it's time to go to something like an LJ for square dance callers, in that we can at least see a picture of someone or know a little bit of what they're like, unlike the blank-slate listserv method that's been around for years.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Periodically, I'm tempted to reply to some of the postings with something to the effect of "Either stop posting or go back on your meds!" but instead I intentionally divert my attention elsewhere for a few minutes, then return to realize that it's just not worth my time/effort to respond.

One can hardly read the characters on my keyboard anymore though for wear & tear, and the "d" key has taken quite a pounding.

Yeah, perhaps plain old mailing lists have run their course and its time to try something new.