Topband: A note from the moderator

[Tree]

All-

I have been receiving a few "am I banned" e-mails from some of you recently
and I thought I should send a message to the list basically saying what I 
have told those who have asked.

Over the past year or so, I think I have gotten "better" at moderating this 
list.  The attempt to remove moderation was a failure that won't be repeated 
again.  For the most part, I forward the messages that get sent to the list.  

I tend to decide if a message is going to be posted based upon a quick 
glance of the message as opposed to reading every word.  Most of the criteria 
I use to determine whether a message gets sent or not is common sense and has 
been talked about here before.  

For example - if someone comes on asking for advice for something rather
specific, I will more than likely let you respond directly to them with
the information.  Perhaps the person who asked the question will send a
message thanking everyone for their input and summarize what input he got.

I LOVE APPROVING MESSAGES THAT START OF WITH "Thanks for all of the 
responses".  

If a message appears too harsh for general consumption, I won't approve
it.  Sometimes, I will let someone know about it - sometimes I don't.
If I see a bunch of CAPITIALIZE words in an e-mail and someone isn't 
being cordial - the message will not be forwarded.  Don't treat other
people like idiots - just because you think you know a lot more about
something.

As a general rule - it's a lot easier for me to do this job if I don't
have to spend a bunch of time explaining why a message wasn't forwarded.
It's easier to just delete it and move on.

Most of the time, I do not use whom a message is from as a criteria for
whether or not it is posted.  Sometimes I peak at this however, and it
might influence my decision.  

I will almost always post messages from people who are novices at 
operating on topband.  We all agreed that we didn't need another list
just for those just starting off.  

Sometimes, a thread will generate WAY TOO MUCH traffic that might be
slightly related to topband operating.  A good example is the recent
discussion about what radios are better for topband.  I tried my best
to make sure the different viewpoints were represented - but if I had
approved every single message that was coming in - many people would
have been concerned.  

So - finally - I want to reassure everyone that nobody is banned from
this list (or if you are - you have been told).  If a couple of your
messages have not been forwarded - keep trying.  You can always ask
me why I didn't forward a message - but typically I have no memory of
making the decision.  I might make different decisions depending on my
mood any given day.  I am human and not a perfect machine.  Best to just
not worry about it and try again when you feel you have something to
contribute.  

73 Tree N6TR