Category Archives: Musings

Washington Post Article on local school email lists

Musings, , ,

The Washington Post featured a front page article about school email lists this morning. I thought I’d find it more interesting than it really was because of my long history with managing school email lists, first Bradleynet, then Pylenet; and because I now belong to a list that is mentioned in the article (and remember the discussion it describes very well as I am friends two of the debaters).

I’ve been a member of too many email lists to count, and they are pretty much all the same. You have people who think it should not be moderated. You have people who think it needs to be moderated more than it is. You have the entire spectrum of political correctness/incorrectness. You have people who threaten to unsubscribe if certain things are posted and those who get upset if certain things are not posted. At least the school lists don’t have the grammar police.

The article mentions a PTSA (past?) president who thinks the email list belongs to her and not the school. While I think she is very wrong, I know how protective I felt about Bradleynet. I had a hard time letting it go. So if that is the reason the woman in question thinks the list belongs to her, I’ll have to admit that I understand it, but somehow I don’t think that was the reason.

I don’t envy those names mentioned in this article. I think that this is one area that does not need news coverage. Email list managers have enough with which to deal without their schools and lists mentioned in the Washington Post.

The comments are almost more interesting than the article, and, in a way, mirror exactly what the article mentions. That with a few keystrokes a person can add to (or detract from) a discussion. It has nothing to do with elitism or unenlightened generations. It has to do with common sense and self-restraint.

Woo hoo, the vacation’s over!

Musings,

So this morning as I sat drinking my coffee I made a ridiculously long to do list. I guess that because I don’t have any pending work at this time, I can get things done around the house. Mmmhuh as my old friend Violet would say in a tone of disdainful disbelief.

I’ll probably actually get to the computer related items on the list:

  • blog entry
  • order CD for Ella
  • Check work email
  • buy vacuum (?)
  • update calendars
  • scan pics (30 minutes)
  • check doctor appt vs wrestling schedule
  • check freecycle
  • freecycle 1 thing

I’ll also do the grocery shopping (because we are out of half & half and eggs) and exercise (because I use half & half in my coffee and eat eggs), but I probably won’t get much else on the list completed which is a shame because the Christmas tree is going to spontaneously combust any second.

The cats claws will probably need to wait as will the water filter and laundry.

Cool, one to do item finished, 19 to go.

Unproductive Day

Musings,

I’ve not gotten much of anything done today. I worked a little, then played the rest of the day. It’s cold outside, and cold in all parts of the house except here in the attic where Clare and I holed up all day.

She’s working on her research paper in which she gets to use the F-word a few times. It is a paper on censored books  and she read The Handmaid’s Tale. I read it years ago and don’t recall the F-word in it at all. But I was not a 16 year old at the time.

Dean was a grump much of the day – the bank messed up and we now have to pay a few late payments on bills that were not paid on time.

Andrew had wrestling.

I’m the only slacker of the bunch!