Biblical Hebrew Forum

["John M. Linebarger" <jmlineb AT comcast.net>]

Every six months I shake my head in wonder about the proclivities of the 
moderators of the B-Hebrew list.  I subscribe to several such lists, and the 
B-Hebrew list is the only one that consistently allows one person to dominate 
the discussion and the volume.  The effect of the domination is that other 
traffic and discussion are often simply drowned out.  It ebbs, it flows, it 
ebbs again, but it always returns.  Currently, it is flowing.

So I ask the question--why is such parasitic behavior allowed by the 
moderators?  If it is in the name of academic freedom, the free exchange of 
ideas, any such benefits are far outweighed by the fact that it squeezes out 
other discourse, and invites nastiness in the process.  IMHO, the practical 
damage caused by the moderators' policy of tolerance far outweighs any 
theoretical benefits, at least that I have perceived.

Am I alone in this view?  Moderators, what say ye?  For awhile I tried to 
look at it as a fascinating sociological phenomenon; now I simply find it 
annoying.  It demotivates me from even subscribing to the list, much less 
reading it or participating in it.  It's a darn shame when good things go bad 
...

John M. Linebarger, PhD (Computer Science)
Albuquerque, New Mexico