Ending a thread...

Moderator's comment:

The last post to H-Film on academic posts in Britain went out Thursday
evening (Pacific Daylight Time).  Friday, that post drew a response that
led me to a reconsideration of the correctness of sending that Thursday
post on to the list without some revision.  On reflection, I feel that I
owe both Leo Enticknap and Ben Pritchett an online apology for a poor
moderatorial decision Thursday evening.

An important part of the moderator's role is to be alert for messages that
contain elements of *ad hominem* argument.  The experience of this list and
the other H-Net lists has shown that dedication to respectful disagreement
is a critical element of maintaining the lists over the long run.  The
moderator's role grew out of an understanding that the instant nature of
e-mail communication allowed all of us to send messages that reflection
might have led us to moderate ourselves.  Even after years of living with
the internet, nearly all of us occasionally still find ourselves having
sent an e-mail message that on reflection might have benefitted from
revision.

On H-Film, typically, a message that concerns the moderator gets returned
to sender with an explanation and a request for revision.  Almost always it
is possible to make minor changes that both preserve the intent of the
sender and allow the message to be heard without personal resistance.  My
failure to that in this case was a disservice both to Leo and to Ben.

The three of us have conversed off-line and all have agreed to let the
matter stop there.  I regret that my failure on Thursday complicated things
unnecessarily for Leo, Ben and the list.

k

-- 
Ken Nolley
Professor of English and Film Studies
Willamette University
Salem, OR 97301
Phone:  503-370-6280
Fax:  503-370-6944



-- 
Ken Nolley
Professor of English and Film Studies
Willamette University
Salem, OR 97301
Phone:  503-370-6280
Fax:  503-370-6944