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] ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html