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Paleonet and UseNet...enough!




Hi folks,

I have restrained myself (sometimes forcefully) from getting into the 
whine-fest regarding the co-existence of Paleonet and sci.bio.paleontology on
the Internet.  But after reading Lipps' recent contribution to this listserve,
I felt that my responding was better than my exploding.

What is the problem here, people?  We have a UseNet paleontology newsgroup that
addresses the needs of neophytes, and we have a professional listserver that
addresses the needs of the professional community.  Those cloistered 
professionals who don't believe in the mandates of the S.V.P. Outreach Statement
don't have to log on to UseNet; in fact, they don't have to respond to amateur's
questions on Paleonet, either.  Just respond to each other.  Don't blame
Una, the amateurs, or the anarchy of UseNet...more than likely, UseNet has been
in existence longer than many of you have used the Internet.

As far as whether this particular listserver will become polluted with amateurs,
cranks, and other crack-pots; that's mostly up to the professionals, isn't
it? 
Keep the discussions professional, succinct, and the cranks will stay away.
In the long-run, people seek out their own kind.  

By the way, if someone decides to "move" this listserver, you will find that
you will still attract non-professionals.  It's the nature of the
Internet.  If you want a private group, use snail-mail.  If it worked for
Tycho, Galileo, and Oppenheimer, snail-mail can work for you, also. 

I would rather hear discussions on the Signor-Lipps effect, or PAUP, or whether
you guys prefer SYSTAT over some other statistics package than I want to 
hear of someone's personal worries of amateurs cluttering his e-mailbox with 
questions.  Please, let's get back to the reason why this listserver was
created.