At 12:49 AM 2/3/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Unfortunately, for the second time I have received a post from a particular
>list member who takes exception to my posts.  The first minor flame I
>ignored.  The second bears both public and private responses.  This is not
snip snip...
>If at any time my admittedly frivolous posts offend anyone, or take up too
>much bandwidth, let me know.  Or do as I do...I scroll through each and
>every post. If it is of interest, I read it or save it for later reference.
>If it is not of interest to me, I just trash it.  No hard feelings.  I
>just take this as part and parcel of membership in a 'front porch' style
>list.

>Gary Roberts <groberts@s...>
>Boston, MA
snip footers...

Gary, 
I am not sure that this has to become an issue.  Your posts, whether
frivolous or loaded with content, are a part of the character of this list.
Let everyone be admonished to do as you do, either hit the delete key, or
save the post, if it interests them.  We have an archive for reference if
necessary.
I hate to see personal differences trigger these issues. The list has passed
200+ people and continues to grow.  In a group of folks that size, there are
going to be many different sorts of folks, each with a set way of doing
things, each with a varying degree of sensitivity, etc.  Not EVERY
difference need become an issue to be aired out. That's what tool auctions
are for. <giggle snort>
Are we all big enough to understand that EVEN our behavoral opposites on
this earth could possibly be interested in old tools? Isn't THAT interest
the requisite one to be posting here? 
I don't think I've ever been part of an online community that shared as much
diversity as this list shares.  The talent and wealth of knowledge here
astound me at times. By haggling personalities and shuttling old tools onto
the siding in the interim, do we creep too close to the same edge that began
the  "Let's Split Rec WW" disagreement?  I hope not.  
What would please me even more at this point than finding out my latest
"found" plane is worth big bucks is to experience a new tolerance among the
people here.  A pastime like old tools should be free of entanglements
brought on by personality clashes. To my way of thinking,  if we allow that
to creep into our discussions, we might as well varnish and spray paint all
the old tools in the world and be done with it.
Just pretend each day when signing on here that you've spotted that table
full of tools a short distance away at some yard sale.  Your breath
quickens, your heart leaps, and you look around to see if anyone has taken a
cue from your excitement. Each sale brings new things not anticipated. Each
new day on this list also brings new things.
Leave your guns at the door, folks. If you can't do that, then scram.  This
is NOT the place for gunfighting.  
Man (woman too!) needs a place to unravel his spirit, and put his feet up on
the rim of the stove.  What use are adventures if not for sharing with
others of the same persuasion?  Can we forget that our OTHER likes and
dislikes may differ, and that we're ALL here to enjoy the postings,
content-packed or not?  Does every single post need to conserve bandwidth
and speak to the technical side of life? Aren't we all people, people with
emotions and silly little nuances of character?  Or are we being turned into
information sponges of the most intolerant and inviolate purity by this huge
electronic experiment we call the Internet?
Gary, before you get too upset about being flamed by an overly sensitive and
inconsiderate person,  let me remind you that 230-something of us DIDN'T
flame you.  Please allow me to apologize for the bad behavior of one of my
fellow human beings, and we ALL (well, MOST of us anyway) hope you stay on
and endure.  Now let's all plunk our magic twangers and get back to monkey
business!

Nick, who cherishes funny stories and LOVES the smell of wood, leather, wet
dogs, and good company