[meteorite-list] A Letter From Blaine Reed

From: Walter Branch <branchw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:28 2004
Message-ID: <00a401c392b9$b172c640$0bcb9f44_at_wbranch>

Al and List

Al, thank you so much for posting Blaine's letter. It was well written and
full of meaning. I just called Blaine and expressed my gratitude toward him
as well. I never try to speak for Blaine as he obviously can speak for
himself but from my conversation with him, he feels very passionate about
the words he wrote.

I also want to repeat my post of a few days ago - all this petty bickering
and libelous accusations does nothing to advance the hobby of meteorite
collecting and the field of meteoritics.

Remember this, just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do
it. Discretion truly is the better part of valor - use it.

Respectfully,

Walter
------------------------------------------
www.branchmeteorites.com
Walter Branch, Ph.D.
Branch Meteorites
PO Box 60492
Savannah, GA 31420



----- Original Message -----
From: "almitt" <almitt_at_kconline.com>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 8:38 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] A Letter From Blaine Reed


> Hi list,
>
> Blaine has asked me to post a message he has been trying to get to the
list for two
> days in regards to the recent fighting. Since he has no internet access I
have agreed
> to post his remarks. I am simply putting this on for him and responses can
go to the
> list but I hope all this will die down now. Blaine in my opinion is a
super sharp guy
> and has a better feeling for the meteorite market than most people. I
think listening
> to his good advise is wise. All my best to everyone.
>
> --AL Mitterling
>
> From Blaine:
>
> ENOUGH ALREADY,
>
> All of these ridiculous threats, accusations and ego battles must stop.
They are
> destroying the hobby! Every time there is some kind of flare up on the
list, I get
> phone calls from collectors asking to be dropped from my customer list
(and from the
> number of long term collectors I no longer hear from I suspect many more
are taking a
> more passive route to the same ends). When I ask why, they have all said
the same
> thing; "I am no longer collecting meteorites". They tend to say that it is
no longer
> fun or enjoyable. When pressed further, they have pointed to the list for
their new
> found distaste of meteorites. While this may be well and fine for some of
us, as often
> these people also want to liquidate their collections, it bodes the
decline of the
> hobby. Let's look at this "hobby" thing. Some of you may find it
distasteful that I'm
> putting meteorites in this realm. But, what is a hobby really about? It
generally is
> something (almost anything - mountain climbing and flying ultra-lights are
a couple of
> mine) that brings relaxation or expands your mind to consider other things
(meteorites
> fit more into this aspect). Generally it is something that takes your mind
off of the
> day to day troubles of the real world.
>
> Let us now consider how "the list" might be affecting this. The average
person has
> plenty to worry about; politics and headaches at work (or more common
lately, whether
> they'll even have a job next month), car troubles, problems with some
neighbors, their
> kids, schools, etc. Life these days is often fast paced and difficult. Now
suppose our
> "average collector" comes home from a long difficult day at work and finds
plenty
> headaches (the car is damaged, junior is failing math, etc.) waiting
there. After
> awhile our collector goes off to the computer for a little escape to feel
more in
> contact with their hobby (and less with the real world). How long do you
suppose this
> person will last as a collector if, when he turns on his computer, all he
gets is the
> evils of the real world dumped in his lap, and often in a more magnified
form then
> they would likely ever experience in the real world (it's strange, but
I've observed
> some of the most vicious people behind a computer a computer key board are
some of the
> funniest, nicest people you could meet in person)? Chances are, at the
point they find
> that their hobby seems to be adding to their stress instead of reducing
it, they will
> move onto greener pastures.
>
> I know, many of you are thinking right now B.S.. Anybody who is on the
list is a grown
> person and likely a seasoned collector, so they can handle these mental
assaults. My
> response is Wrong! Though the people who regularly post to the list may be
so, a fair
> number of the observers are likely new to the hobby (in today's world, it
seems the
> first thing someone does when they get interested in a new hobby is sign
up for a
> related chat room to learn more). I even suspect there are many beginning
(and a fair
> number of non beginning) collectors who would like to post questions to
the list but
> dare not for fear of being shouted down as a moron or just plain made to
look foolish
> for exposing their ignorance.
> So what can be done? At this point it is an extremely difficult problem.
There are
> many possible answers. The people involved could be drafted to help, as it
takes both
> an instigator and a responder to have a full-fledged fight. I realize it
is not very
> realistic to expect someone to be silent after someone has slammed them,
but there
> would be no battles if they did. Asking people about other lists (in other
fields and
> hobbies) has indicated to me that lists that have no or very limited
oversight tend to
> rapidly breakdown into an ugly battle-zone. So, the most obvious answer to
the problem
> is to have a dedicated moderator. If there is no such person now, then one
needs to be
> found (and if one cannot be found then it is my opinion that it would be
best for
> everyone to simply shut the list down, a measure I truly hope doesn't have
to come to
> any real consideration). Their job would be to make certain that anything
that even
> whiffs of being a threat, attack or slanderous statement never makes it to
the public
> eye. To make their job easier in the long run, they may find it beneficial
to remove
> those people that seem determined to regularly attempt to post such
things. I realize
> that many may see this as the evil CENSORSHIP, but for the long-term good
of the hobby
> it is necessary (and on a personal note, I don't believe "freedom of
speech" is a
> valid excuse to ignore this job). The list should be a place for honest
questions,
> answers and information about meteorites, not a forum for flagrant
self-promotion and
> damaging personal attacks.
>
> I know I am likely just digging my own grave that much quicker having this
posted. The
> rare times in the past I have had to post something I have lost customers
in droves
> (likely those that may have considered my arguments to be against their
views). But,
> if nothing is said, nothing can be considered or, better yet, changed. If
nothing is
> done, there likely won't be much left of the hobby and I'll be out of
business anyway.
> My hope is that some of the many of you that have expressed these same
opinions to me
> in private (but wouldn't post them) will now come out of hiding. Oh,
that's right,
> that is not likely. These are the people that have pretty much quit the
hobby, dropped
> from or ignore the list and will not see this.
>
> Blaine Reed
>
>
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Received on Tue 14 Oct 2003 09:14:33 PM PDT