postings, amatuers & proper talk

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Date
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1.  If we can't talk about what our lists are supposed to be on the lists,
then forget them altogether.  If you're going nuts, hit the delete button
and it'll make you feel good again.  I see no reason to limit our
discussions to just the science.  We have a lot to learn about the
sociology, economics, politics, etc., of paleontology too, and this list is
the best way to do it, in my opinion.  You will learn more about how to be
successful in the science and how to improve paleontology than reading
papers in Paleobiology (NOW, don't get me wrong again--I take it, I read
it, I publish in it, I chip in as a patron, I review papers for it, I used
to be on the editorial board, I vote on it's policies.  In other words, I
like it and this is not a derogatory comment.

2.  Amatuers are important to our discipline, my museum, and even my
particular scientific projects where I include them all the time. I welcome
serious people to the lists which is where they should be.  This discussion
about amateurs is very useful especially if expanded to ways to include
them productively in our work or organizations.  The definition problems
could be a useful topic as well.

3.  Cranks, miscreants, weirdos, bs-ers, etc., I have no tolerance for, and
I'd feel a lot better if hitting the delete button had some direct impact
on them.  Maybe electrical.

4.  The dinosaur list was an example not a complaint.  But I'll think about
my example, turn it into a complaint, and file it there not here.

5.  I sure hope keeping postings professional will cause those in #3 to
think about it, but I doubt it myself.

6.  The traffic is heavy.  I regularly get over 150 emails a day.  My poor
delete finger is getting raw and I'm out of memory again.  Even
accidentally deleted the Dean the other day--oh, well, Deans go in #3
anyway.

7.  We'll see how it turns out soon enough.

Jere


Jere H. Lipps
Professor, Department of Integrative Biology
Director, Museum of Paleontology
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-9006 fax 642-1822
jlipps@ucmp1.berkeley.edu