Lisi Reisz wrote:
I ought not to quote from Mark without his permission, so I have firmly pre-rapped my knuckles. If there were a moderator I would be contacting her/him. As there is not, I want the list's opinion, and it cannot give an opinion without the data. As I see it Mark has no right to dictate what list members may or may not do on-list, nor to lay down ground rules. [SNIP]
Although an unmoderated mailing list is not USENET, I have observed that some of the same dynamics. There are people with rough edges who annoy enough people into "kill filing them" that they give up, go away, and bother another group. Alternatively they may receive the appropriate negative feedback which eventually smooths those rough edges. I'm also observing a third response in a USENET group. There's a guy, kill filed by most of the group, who occasionally says something worthwhile. That gets picked up and triggers useful discussion.
Don't sweat it, group dynamics may work slowly but it does work.