More on the new writers' group (part 3)

[zeborah]

Following on from part 2, so far we've got a pretty clear consensus that it should be:

• spec-fic focused;
• publically readable and easily joinable;
• a mailing list (which can be forwarded to a web forum and to nntp);
• "rushing in".

So let's rush in: Brooks, what would it take for you to set up a mailing list with web and nntp interface? What moderation possibilities would it allow, what issues do we need to know, and what questions do we need to decide?


Regarding the 'vision statement' (original here), would the following be better, worse, or the same?

2 a) We know that society in general and speculative-fiction in specific contain many stereotypes and biases that are racist, sexist, homophobic, ablist, and/or intolerant of people in non-nuclear family structures, people of different religions or of no religion, and others.
  b) We don't want to unwittingly perpetuate such stereotypes and biases in our own fiction. We also don't want to unwittingly perpetuate them in real life and/or hurt a fellow human being.
  c) Therefore we want other members to feel free and safe to point out to us if we've said something that accidentally perpetuates stereotypes or biases or is otherwise hurtful; and we will take it as a favour and learn from it if they do. [please see my latest post.]


My general plan for a timeline from now goes:

1. get the technology set up;
2. get the word out among people and groups that might be interested;
3. nominate moderators and decide on rules.

Comments

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'm just giggling at the idea that PCs are locked down against software additions, so of course all software moves onto the web.

(It makes perfect sense from an "of course that's what human beings would do" point of view, but I imagine there are a few software engineers quietly bashing their heads against their desks. I sometimes think people are vastly entertaining devices for breaking good intentions. Or as my boss when I was a programmer said "You make something idiot-proof, someone invents a better idiot", although I'd want to re-phrase the sentiment.)

[nycshelly.livejournal.com]

We've had a lot of problems on our work system. There are thousands of PCs on the network, for the public and for the staff. Any new software is pushed through the system. Any additions not on the list for a given PC needs to be approved at the highest level, and you better have a good reason for wanting it.

One problem was people downloading music overnight when the system was running maintenance, causing crashes. People, when found, have been suspended, even fired, for doing this. Two summers ago, our short-staffed, overworked IT department spent the better part of two months cleaning nearly all the PCs of a nasty virus someone apparently let in via an email attachment. No matter how often they send out warnings to not do that, people do it. So they control what they can. I'm waiting for them to start blocking specific sites, in which case, I might end up bringing my laptop to work.

I was happy when I finally convinced the powers that be that I needed Firefox on my office PC (still stuck with IE on the reference desks) so I can see how our website, which I maintain, looks on that as well as on IE. They pushed it through the system to my PC, though for other things, someone comes around with a disk and does it through the Admin login.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

At my previous job, I could access LJ and Google groups, also Facebook. At the college where I now work occasionally, anyone trying to access Facebook and Twitter are denied access. LJ sneaks in under the radar; there mustn't be enough college students trying to waste time on it.

It doesn't bother me, of course, because mostly I work from home on my own computer, but this problem could affect ex-rasfcians or potential members who want to access discussions from work in lunch breaks.

[nycshelly.livejournal.com]

I think Facebook and Twitter will remain accessible for us because they're encouraging library branches to use both as a means to communicate with patrons. We're getting ready to start a Facebook page for my branch.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

The college where I used to work had a Facebook page that they encouraged staff and students to join. I wasn't really aware of Twitter last autumn, but I don't think they had any plans for using Twitter.