Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT earthlink.net>]

Dear List,

It should be clear to the entire list the Mr. Michael
Miles'recent posts are inappropriate for this list because
they contain blatantly ad hominem arguements and an
occasionally condescending tone.

That such posts may be published on our list from time to
time should be no surprise because our list is by default
unmoderated.  Membership is open and nearly unmoderated.
Nevertheless, the list is not a free-for-all, and the staff
does indeed have the ability and the willingness to moderate
either individuals or the entire list when a special need
arises.  It just so happens that the list's three chairs
Kirk Lowery, Lewis Reich and myself were all quite busy in
recent days and unable to respond to the thread as quickly
as we might prefer.

You may feel the need to chastise an inapproriate poster,
and that is your priviledge, I suppose.  However, I rather
suggest patience in the knowledge that we chairs all have
day jobs and other pressing responsibilities, just as all of
you.  We chairs are in constant communications and do our
best to make sure at least one of us is on duty at all
times.  Even so, we are not hovering over our computers on
an hourly basis, and such unseemly exchanges as the thread
generated by Mr. Miles can easily take place in the interim
between our mail retrievals.  I suggest, therefore, that the
membership give us a bit of trust and time; rather than fuel
the fires of contention, wait for the chairs to stop
inappropriate posts.  You may not realize that we often do
so, because we try to perform most of our unpleasant
"police-work" off-list.  In any case, without the time and
trust the staff needs to do this "police-work," such
inapproriate threads as this most recent may well increase.
We have been doing the "police-work" as a volunteer service
to you for a year and a half now, and will continue to do
so.  I.e. "Let the ref blow the whistle while you just play
the game."  ;-)

Thanks for your thoughtfulness in this matter.

Shalom,
Bryan Rocine
b-hebrew staff