WSV on construction ahead, proceed with care.
William S. Verplanck
more confused than ever. I'm also concerned with the number and sender
identity of those terse "unsubscribe" posts, and I note that no new
additions to the list ("accounts") are noted other than those coopted from
Dick Malott's list.
Way back when, I was designated by someone-or-other as CCBS liaison, or
something-like-that, with Behav-An listmembers (listmembers, not accounts).
The job was to inform Behav-An members of the CCBS Website under
construction, and, of course, to solicit new members for CCBS. I've also
been a member of CCBS's Website committee, but not in any relationship to
the BA list.
Through all my time on the list, it's not only been monitored, but we've
downloaded, classified, and filed almost 600 threads of scientific or
applied interest from it. These data were wanted for the G/T, and for
keeping in touch with what's what, who's who, and who are bugged by what
problems or issues.
That's the background. As a long time Behav-An listmember, I think we need
to disentangle listmembers from the net that seems to have been thrown over
us. I'm also intent on continuing to work for both those who have
benefited by and learned from the BA list as Joe ran it as listowner, and
for the fullest welfare of CCBS and our website. This will surely develop
into "home base" for all matters of behavior analysis, as well as a source
from which members of the public can be kept informed about behavior
analysis. Hence, I suggest a course of action which may enable us to cut a
few of the Gordian knots of the net/web in which we seem to be entangled.
(1) The Behavior Analysis List (listowner Joe Plaud) is to be run as it was
before June 28, a list with no administrators, managers, editors or
whatever. The address of the list may be changed from
BEHA...@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU to beha...@www.virtualcommunity.org; the only
immediate change. No login, no password, no "cookies" (what BS!), no
puzzles about "delete" keys (who deletes what, when and why?), and so on.
(Immediately, I expect to post on the list at _both_ addresses, being
careful, by including initials or name in the _Subject_ to identify myself
as sender and to enable those who access posts only by BVC to identify the
author.)
(2) Inform listmembers who haven't been monitoring the list but who will do
so when the new academic year begins at various institutions _only_ of the
change in Behav-An's address, which should be the only change in the near
future.
(3) Through the coming weeks, administrators, owners, managers, editors,
etc. are to consult thoughtfully and critically with one another, and with
the CCBS office on any further changes in the principles and procedures
that have made the Behav-An list a success, and to develop a methodology
and set of procedures that flows from the set of principles upon which
BVC's will be set up and function. User-friendliness must be the key,
which implies a minimum of restrictive rules and of micromanagement.
Nothing that gives off so much as a whiff of red-tape and bureaucratic
regimentation is to get by.
(4) The effectiveness and success of a progressive, step by step, unhasty
changeover will be readily measured by daily counts of posts, of visitors,
of "unsubscribes," and of new listmembers (omitting those coopted) of both
the Behav-An list and BVC's changes as the Behav-An list becomes a BVC, one
which has as rapid a turn-around time as Joe's list has had, and which has
an equal _back_ of restrictive rules and required procedures. (My own
impression from counts of posts of the last month or so says that it's time
to pump like hell, but not to man the lifeboats.)
And please, listmembers who are tempted to unsubscribe, be patient, and
give Ken, Joe, and other CCBS'ers time to work things out, and to make
haste slowly.
>>1. Haste in every business brings failure - Herodotus
>>2. Festina lente (Hasten slowly) - Seutonius
>>3. Haste maketh waste - Heywood
>>4. For fools rush in, where angels fear to tread - Pope
>
>"Take the time it takes." Tom Dorrance, a great horse trainer
>"Have a goal----not a time table." Bernie Brown, a great dog trainer
>
>"You can always vacuum tomorrow." Margie English, lousy housekeeper
Best to all, and patience!
Bill V.
____________________________________________
William S. Verplanck wver...@utk.edu
An award-winning site: http://web.utk.edu/~wverplan/
http://web.utk.edu/~wverplan/kantor/kantor.html
____________________________________________
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