[Publib] List snarkiness; more on Hydrox

[Scott Bonner]

I can attest from personal experience that it also gets mighty ugly on
listserves and forums for role-play games (World of Darkness, D&D, etc) and
martial arts (American Kenpo, TKD, etc).  The difference being that martial
artists carry a bit more weight when they challenge the other guy to go out
back!  You'd expect more self-control, but there's always a few...

However, as I said in private email to someone else, professional lists
usually don't degrade so quickly or so viciously as publib has lately.  It's
like everyone is staking out their little camps and giving the fisheye to
everyone else - old vs. young, civil libertarians vs. realists, nice people
vs. harsh people, pro-teens vs. anti-teens, and so forth.  I expect this and
much worse from fanboy mailing lists, but not on lists for a profession.

-- Scott
 
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-
> bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Joe Schallan
> Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 5:09 PM
> To: Publib
> Cc: Susan Vittitow
> Subject: [Publib] List snarkiness; more on Hydrox
> 
> On Tuesday, 6/24/08, Susan Vittitow wrote:
> 
> > I'm mostly a lurker on this list, but rest
> > assured that this is unusual. I've learned a lot of
> > great things from the people on this list. I'm not sure
> > whether it's something in the water or what, but the
> > snark and flame level has had an upward blip recently.
> 
> As a longtime subscriber to OPERA-L, I can assure the
> members of PUBLIB that what has been transpiring here
> is but a bump in a mostly smooth road, and mild by
> comparison.
> 
> Now you'd think a bunch of opera-lovers would be a
> genteel, tea-sipping-with-raised-pinkie crowd --
> well-educated and inherently reserved folks for whom
> politeness and mutual respect come practically as
> second nature.
> 
> Right.
> 
> Over at OPERA-L, list participation is a blood
> sport.  I have read ad hominem attacks that have
> made me wince, seen profanity-laced tirades, and
> read challenges to meet F2F on Amsterdam Avenue,
> behind the Met, to settle the disagreement over
> soprano x with fists. There have been fearsome
> maledictions and overt threats. Intellect and
> character have been impugned. Many of the most
> doberman-like listers are also brilliant verbalists
> who are multilingual and multi-degreed, with the
> erudition and wit to back up their credentials
> and remarks.
> 
> When you post an opinion on OPERA-L, you take --
> if not your life -- your sense of self-worth in
> your hands. The question may only be how
> brutally savaged your remarks will be. I have no
> doubt that men's spirits and will to live have
> been broken by participation in OPERA-L.
> 
> If vendettas, personal attacks, tenaciously held
> grudges, and withering public humiliation by
> misanthropic geniuses is your idea of a good time,
> subscription information may be found at
> 
> http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A0=OPERA-L
> 
> Welcome to OPERA-L, and thanks for your comment.
> Several of our veteran subscribers will now
> hand you your head.
> 
> 
> See, we don't have it so bad.
> 
> 
> - - - - -
> 
> A trip to
> 
> http://www.hydroxcookies.com
> 
> provides a link to a Kellogg's corporate press release
> that states that late August will see the appearance
> of the Limited Edition 100th Anniversary cookies in
> stores nationwide. The 14-oz. packages will carry an
> MSRP of $3.19.  In conjunction with the revival, a
> Hydrox storytelling competition will be announced.
> 
> I am counting on Publibbers far and wide to buy and
> eat lots of Hydrox cookies, so that Kellogg's will be
> induced to keep them on the market permanently, not just
> as a limited edition.  I think 20 packages for each
> Publibber is a reasonable expectation, and if you are
> in the middle of some sort of diet nonsense, then share
> them with your volunteers or, heck, mail some to
> supermodels, who always look so angry on the catwalk
> because they are HUNGRY.
> 
> Taking the snark out of the list, I remain,
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Eoj Reldnahc Anozira
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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