From: "DIANE M. CLARK (MUSIC DEPARTMENT)"
Subject: Re: NETIQUETTE
To: vocalist
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

SE wrote:

>>I'm not THAT advanced in music yet, and seeing so many posts about certain
opera songs, opera singers, and singers like Bocelli and Pavoratti just don't
interest me. There IS something called a delete button! Not to be rude, but
I delete things that A: I don't understand, or B: just don't involve me... I
think that discussing music groups SHOULD be allowed, because it's music
isn't it? I think that the teenagers are a little left out in this area
anyway...

This is all my opinion, but I just wanted to have people take into
consideration that other people may LIKE seeing the posts you don't... Thanks
for listening, and I'm TRULY sorry if I upset anyone today...

+++

If one joins an internet list (or any new group anywhere), the appropriate
behavior is to listen and observe to learn how things work. It is NOT appro-
priate to shove one's way into the group and try to make the group over into
what YOU feel comfortable with. If, after you have an understanding of the
purpose and practices of a group, you don't feel that you fit in or enjoy,
you should quietly exit and find another group. If you see that the group is helpful or fun, then you can gradually take a more active part in it.

In the 5 years that VOCALIST has existed, we have had some people of all ages
who joined the group and either tried to flaunt their knowledge as being
better than everyone else's or change the focus of discussions because they
didn't have any knowledge of the subjects being discussed. Sooner or later
those people have become dissatisfied and left us, and I hope they found
other places where they are more at home.

I personally am glad that we have young singers on the list, and I hope they
are lurking and learning and asking questions and sometimes offering their
experiences about learning to sing. I am also grateful for the more experi-
enced and/or more mature singers, who share their knowledge and experience.
I think it behooves us all to think before we post and make sure that what we
write has some value to members of the list. There are many types of things
that have value -- sharing knowledge of repertoire and technique, rejoicing
in people's successes, encouraging people who are having problems, asking
thoughtful questions. If every poster would send only THOUGHTFUL posts, I
think we would not have so many complaints.

|\ Dr. Diane M. Clark, Assoc. Prof./Chair of Music Dept., Rhodes College
| 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, 901-843-3782, dclark-at-rhodes.edu
() http://gray.music.rhodes.edu/musichtmls/faculty/dclark.html