[meteorite-list] Can The The Met-List Be Reborn?

From: Meteorites USA <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:58:35 -0700
Message-ID: <4A6A207B.9090002_at_meteoritesusa.com>

Hi listees, all you long time members, and list founders,

Last Call For All...

I started writing this last night and have pieced together some of what
I think to be the most important parts of some emails answers I've sent
from the responses I received yesterday and throughout today.

Since my email yesterday I've noticed an increase in actual meteorite
related posts. I'm impressed and thankful for that. Maybe it was my
post, maybe it wasn't, but so I don't mess things up this is the last
email like this I will write as I don't want to beat a dead horse. It's
been said too many times. Then I will recede into the realm of met-list
history and former members if something is not done about the rampant
whiners, complainers, hypocrites and haters.

The Met-List is a great place for meteorite people to come together and
discuss meteorites. I was warned before I joined by some very prominent
people in this biz to be prepared for some things not related to
meteorites, and that the Meteorite List was becoming a complainers haven.

"Fine I have no problems with that..." I said...

That was about two years ago...

You notice most of the really big names in the business shy away from
the list, or if they are members they do not post much if at all. They
might be members, but they simply read the emails and never respond to
anything unless it's absolutely related to meteorites or something they
are passionate about. I won't mention any names, but they are legends
and great and mighty meteorite hunters and researchers. They don't post
for a reason. The list has gotten spoiled, and the whiners took over
long before I became a member.

Most professionals and true meteorite enthusiasts rarely post anything
but good solid quality meteorite related information, links, videos,
articles and papers. They almost never respond to the childish BS,
games, and disputes that get posted publicly. They are very professional
and kind.

I agree that there should be freedom of speech, no censorship, and
responsibility on the part of each member.

However there needs to be ground rules. Even more so there needs to be
"enforcement" of those rules.

In case anyone has not read the rules posted on the MeteoriteCentral.com
website here's the rules for ya... Not that these rules haven't been
posted before, but here they are again!

General List Policies

    * Posts need to relate -in some way- to meteorites
    * Be courteous and professional at all times
    * Please include the 'subject' of the post in the subject box
    * Send emails in text format, not -HTML-
    * Do not send emails with -file attachments- to the list - include a
file link
    * Make sure you can back up statements with -facts and references-
    * Do not post -major advertisement- emails to the list- include a
'sale' link
    * If you are posting a URL for a sale, include 'SALE' in the subject box
    * Do not post messages for somene else to the List.

Now, Art has shown much restraint in his enforcing of the rules. In my
opinion he's too lenient and the rules need to be enforced more than
they have been. Rules are there for a reason, and Art has been more than
tolerant of all the BS on-list for a very long time.

However, we all know that ignoring the problem and wishing it away is
not the way to go. Art needs to stand up and suspend some of the offenders.

It's time for some ball bashing! Cut the crap, suspend some members and
don't play the games any more.

If Art wants to suspend me for calling him out and/or posting my rant
yesterday, then so be it, at least show the list that the rules mean
something! No this is not an attack on Art or other list founders...

It's a WAKE UP CALL!

List owners have fallen asleep at the wheel, and in the name of freedom
of speech and liberty they're forgetting the rules and not enforcing
them, thereby allowing the members to take control of the list, forcing
new members to leave, and prospective members to never bother signing up
in the first place once they read through list posts. Some people forget
that these list posts are PUBLIC! They don't just end up in your email
box, they are online for all to see!

I market the Met-List on most of my meteorite related websites. It's
rather embarrassing as a member of the Met-List to have to explain to
new list members that the list is NOT normally like this. I've had to do
this on numerous occasions, especially recently. There is a lot of
discussion and good things on the list but it's being drowned out by all
the fluff and stuff that we don't care about as hobbiests, enthusiasts,
scientists, collectors, researchers and dealers.

The meteorite world is a much more public forum now. The explosive
growth of this business, the media attention to fireballs and meteorite
hunters, the introduction of the Meteorite Men TV show, and the
increased public awareness has set new precedents and changed things in
the meteorite world forever.

This isn't the old met-list anymore. It's not OK to go by the same old
rules.

History shows that those who don't change get weeded out. If the
Met-List doesn't change, the evolution of the meteorite world will chew
it up and spit it out. I doesn't matter that there's 1000+ people on
this list, many of those having been members for years, that will not
save the list from the impending doom.

What matters is change, this list will be nothing more than an email
community dictated by debaters & haters, thereby making list life hell
on the lurkers and collectors who enjoy the little actual meteorite
related information that gets posted between all the lamer's posts. I
for one and hoping things will change. But I'm afraid it might not...

It actually says this on the MeteoriteCentral website:

"...Other than increased numbers of participants, the list has remained
the same since day one..."

Now, so I don't get accused of taking things out of context, the line
before that states "...My guess would be October (perhaps November) of
1996 saw the launching of the list as it is known today..."

That's near 13 years according to my count. 13 years. Unchanged...

Wow! If the list doesn't change soon, we aren't going to have a list
left to change. Natural selection may be debatable according to the
origins of man, but I can tell you something that is a known and solid
fact. If you think never changing the list is the way to go, then be
ready for the list to go under as the entire meteorite world passes you
by. Sit back in your chairs and do nothing and the list will become extinct.

All the hard work that the BIG GUYS have done over the years to bring
the meteorite world into the public eye, and make it more main stream
has come to fruition. The world is changing. Either change with it or
get eaten up.

Turn this list back into what it's supposed to be.

The Meteorite List!

And for those of you who're asking yourselves "Who the hell does he
think he is?" my answer to you is...

I am,

Someone who loves meteorites...
Someone who loves this business...
Someone who seeks knowledge...
Someone who seeks enlightenment...
Someone who seeks understanding...
Someone who seeks answers...
Someone who seeks enjoyment...
Someone who seeks happiness...
Someone who looks at the world through wondering eyes and asks himself,
why? How? What does that mean?

Someone who is human...

That's who I am. That's what I'm about.


I'm you...


Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
Received on Fri 24 Jul 2009 04:58:35 PM PDT