On Tuesday 02 Dec 2003 4:07 am, you wrote:
> I'm wondering if the moderation policy and charter for mwm aren't
> being enforced with a bit too much zeal.

I don't think so (but then, as a mod I wopuldn't, would I?) though I hear
what Barbara says about the recent thread.

> Given that the annual review of the moderation policy is overdue
> (!),

Oops. In fact double oops because I think it was me that suggested such a
review during the RFD phase. I've been thinking that year must be just about
up by now myself.

> I'd like to propose that some of the zeal be relaxed, that
> posts be acceptable as long as they a) conform to the charter's
> requirements for civility toward fellow posters and b) pertain in
> some way to writing. And here I don't mean "pertain to writing"
> in the mw sense of "it's a post and I wrote it so it's
> writing-related", but rather in some more substantive way. The
> criterion I'd like to suggest as a starting point is "is of
> interest to writers".
>
> The main moderation questions would then would not be
>
> -- Is it substantially about writing?
>
> -- Is it civil?
>
> but
>
> -- Is it civil?
>
> -- is it of interest to writers?
>
> My goal is to give people some breathing space, to encourage
> discussion, and maybe breathe a little life into the group.

I'm all in favour of finding ways to do that. I think we have a good core of
lurkers (waves to the lurkers, all of whom support me in e-mail) and would
like to hear from them why they don't post. Is it that they have very little
guidance on what would be an acceptable on-topic post, is it that they have
nothing to say, or is it that they are intimidated by the process/possibility
of rejection/lack of camouflage? Or what?

As mods we should probably be more active in starting discussions in the hope
that once a culture of discussion is established it may gather its own
momentum. But I'd like to know from those who read the group what they'd like
to see in it and what's preventing them from asking for it or providing it. I
wonder if there is a feeling that one should not start a thread other than
with a specific question - I'd like to see some musings on the experiences we
have as writers (very little at the moment in my case - Davida knows why)
such as the feelings of posting out two novel sized manuscripts in the same
week (to pull an example at random out of a recent RL conversation) though I
acknowledge that such a post might easily become too much like an m.w. yahoo
and full under the ban in the mod policy. Still, it should be possible for us
to provide for more than just "Courier or Times Roman?" and "How much do I
pay a publisher?"

In brief - what do our readers want to see in mwm?

>
> Note: This is not a call for a vote. It's a call for discussion.
> Can one of you moderator-types post an [ADMIN] notice about this
> discussion so that all 5 active posters can get in on the mailing
> list action?
>

Done

> My best to you all,

And mine to you - I saw a computerbits URL posted during a discussion in
news.groups the other day and thought fondly of that throwaway rag.

john