Cathy,

I'm assuming from your message that Faye Dyess is your pseudonym?  Before you
read this, let me say that you shouldn't take any of this personally.  I'm
responding to you in public because you posted your comments in public.  So far,
this is a very minor matter in my estimation.  I hope it stays that way.  

First, this type of discussion is OFF TOPIC in the Forum.  Do not post messages
like this in the Forum in the future.  Do not respond to this message in the
Forum.  Send any response to this message and any future messages of this type
directly to the Forum Manager, not via the Forum.  The manager's email address
is shown at the bottom of every Forum message with instructions to this effect.

The SCRoots group is usually on-topic, quite friendly, and polite.  However,
every once in a blue moon we have "flare ups" where somebody finds that they
don't like something about how the Forum is operating and they decide to let
everyone know about it.  Most do it without much forethought and are just
"venting", or writing carelessly, or they misunderstand something and
over-react.  A few do it in a calculated manner with certain objectives in
mind.  The latter is somewhat like a "rebellion" or "terrorist action" in
cyberspace intended to disrupt, cause harm, or subvert participants to leave and
join another group.

When I detect an attitude which seems inclined to stirring up controversy or
heated argument in the Forum, I try to discourage the disruptive behavior.  If
discouragement doesn't work, then I prefer to drive them away rather than let
them cause disruption.  Peace and harmony in the Forum is more desirable than
attaining maximum participation.  Disruptive and rude behavior will usually draw
a strong reaction from me.  Such is very much unacceptable in SCRoots.  And, it
wastes too much of my time, which I don't like and for which I have limited
patience.

The recent exchange was the occasional flare-up, and it has been a very minor
one, so far.  If that was your first message posted to the list, then you made a
bad start.  Starting off by posting negative criticism is not good.  When it is
negative criticism of the Host, it is plain rude.  That is just like a guest at
a party or gathering who loudly criticizes how the host has managed the event. 
Both are rude behavior.  In the party scenario, the person is not likely to be
invited to future events.  In the Forum, they are likely to be asked to correct
their behavior or leave.

I can understand someone new to the group not knowing what is considered
acceptable behavior for the group.  I've participated in many other message
groups over the years.  Some of the non-genealogy groups welcomed argument and
criticisms and such.  That isn't the case in SCRoots due to the nature of the
group.  You might want to review the Forum archives and web site to get a better
flavor of the topics and discussion in SCRoots. The archive's address is shown
on the SCRoots web site.

It is not appropriate behavior in the SCRoots Forum to post negative, public
criticisms of other people's messages.  ON TOPIC messages which add, or have
meaningful questions, or just want to have further ON TOPIC discussion about
something published in the Forum are welcome.  That is what the Forum is for. 
But, OFF TOPIC negative criticisms about other peoples messages, are not
appropriate or welcome.  

The message to which I responded was a rude, public criticism of a message from
the Forum Manager about Forum Policy.  It is generally bad form to criticize a
Forum Manager in the Forum that they manage.  If you wish to offer your comments
or opinions on how I manage the Forum, you should do so in direct mail to me. 
Not by posting public, OFF TOPIC messages in the Forum.

Thanks for your cooperation,

Steven J. Coker
SCRoots Forum Manager

PS  Of the thousands of emails posted in SCRoots since it began operations, a
very tiny fraction have been policy reminders or management related messages.  A
review of the archives will confirm this.


Cathy Ailstock wrote:
> Wow, I have only been on this list for a few days.  Is it always this way?  Can there
> never be even the slightest variation from "the rules?"  I am presently on 17 lists
> and this is the first one that I have seen more corrections on what should and should
> posted on the list, than I have postings.  And before we go there, yes I have read
> the rules, Steven.  But....
> Sincerely,
> Cathy Ailstock (the one you rebuffed on my first and only posting to this list.)
> 
> >
> > And others are just rude.
> > Steve
> >
> > Faye Dyess wrote:
> > > Some people must use so many words to say so little.
> > > Faye

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