Listers all:

I have just spent four days trying to figure out why I had lost my emails from
the list.

Let me say that Doug Alexander at LVA has done more than yeoman service trying
to fix this.  He deserves much applause from all of us -- even if you've had no
problems.

What it all came down to is that someone -- I presume a former member of the
list -- had issues with the recent re-evaluation of TJ and Sally.  In fact they
had such great issues that instead of simply unsubscribing from the list they
tried to nuke the list by reporting the LVA list-server to Road Runner -- which
happens to be my ISP -- as a spammer.  Given the recent traffic re: TJ, etc.,
Road Runner through its automated monitoring of potential spam traffic decided
that LVA -- even though it is a SUBSCRIPTION driven list -- was an UNSOLICITED
spammer and blocked its emails from local delivery.

IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT???

If for any reason you want to opt out of one of our discussions -- please do
so -- by using your delete function -- or as a last resort unsubscribe.  But
PLEASE do not penalize the rest of us by the ill-considered reaction of equating
the list with spam.  Telling your ISP that you think LVA is spamming may -- and
my case -- did lead to consequences I'm sure the unhappy lister had not
intended.  It was a privately initiated CENSORSHIP of all the LVA listers.

The FIRST AMENDMENT limits the distance that your hand can come towards my nose,
but it does not limit your right to offend me, or my right to offend you, as
long as it is a verbal or written statement.  Moreover it fully protects your
right and mine to say no I don't want to hear it -- within our private spaces,
but while it protects your space from mine, it does not allow you to infringe my
space, or me to infringe upon yours.

Having now vented my frustrations over all of this, let me say that while I
don't always agree with all of the postings on this list, and in fact am
occasionally offended by some of them, I encourage everyone to post their honest
and I hope sincere beliefs about historical issues, whatever they may be.  I'd
much rather be confronted by what might be uncomfortable discussions, than never
having been asked to reconsider my views in light of other points of view and
other interpretations of the evidence.  That's what I think we are or should be
doing as historians.

So, last rant, let's all try to be polite and tolerant -- and when someone
really pulls your chain just hit the delete button with great gusto!!!

Thanks for putting up with my rants.

Peter

Peter V. Bergstrom, PhD
Independent Historian
Computer & Historical Consultant
336-286-8654
[log in to unmask]

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