[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Important Message-Upcoming Change in Reply Setting



I'm kinda partial to the electronic water cooler shoptalk on the list myself.
 Having spent three years in a situation in which there were next to nil
archivists for almost a hundred miles around, I enjoyed being able to Chat
with virtual friends who could understand what I was talking about.  Every
once in a while I get the feeling folks don't realise when they're onlist or
offlist, and I've been known to let them know privately.  But frankly, the
delete key's so easy it's not much of a bother.

I'm inclined to think the decisions are being made by those who have easy
access to other archivists in their daily activities and have no idea of the
lone arrangers' need for professional contact.  When I worked in depts with
other archivists, the list was very peripheral to my work; when I became a
lone arranger with few around to "shoptalk" the list became very important to
my professional sanity.

So the list wanders offtopic occasionally.  Archivists working with other
archivists do this all the time; I know this for a fact.  I'm not sure why
lone arrangers should not be allowed some offtopic conversation when
archivists in multi-archivist depts. do this constantly.  Over the year I've
seen the list self-monitor participants about issues of vulgar language,
extreme off-topicness, and delicacy of politics.  For myself I'm pleased to
see that list participants take care of this themselves and usually with a
delightful sense of humour.

As for auto-replies, I've been posting the Updates for over three years and
I've lately noticed that the number of out-of-office auto-replies has gone
down overall.  We're all learning the rules of the virtual highway, albeit at
different rates.

And every once in a while an intended offlist message gets posted onlist.
I've done this myself and no one ever complained viciously about my boyfriend
comments (although some of the resulting offlist conversations got awkward!).


Like Jill, I've found that browsing the list messages generates a high yield
of helpful hints, and the chaff is often just as much fun as the wheat.  And
we know how to separate it.

And Bob, my sympathies that you have to be the one to deliver us this news.

There's my tuppence; apologies for being deadly dull and verbose, but I
missed the Friday Funnies today,

Holly Hodges

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>