<VV> Bandwidth, was A picture of the (ahem...)

[henry kaczmarek]

Folks
In an attempt not to create a "me Too" to Joe's post--for as much as Joe and 
I agree on certain issues, May is no time for hell to freeze over <GG> , and 
since I have been rather quiet lately, allow me some non-humor bandwidth  to 
expand on Joe's remarks.

Our forum is pretty well not policed, my personal opinions about the 
management style of the current Chairman totally aside.  This is the way the 
list has been, at least since I joined in 1997, and also covers the terms of 
both Dennis and myself as Chairman.

  We have lost several knowledgeable posters who left in some majority part 
because of the excessive use of bandwidth, considered off topic by those who 
left, by those members who feel that a main ingredient of this list is THEIR 
brand of "humor", usually labeled as such.  Though I usually delete these 
(IMO) attempts at humor forthwith, I try to live and let live by not 
complaining about what I consider a waste of bandwidth. As I see it, it's 
not off topic if I don't bother to look at it, and labeling such attempts as 
humor is in keeping with the established posting guidelines. There I am most 
always content to let the issue lie.

However, when a message such as the one Joe West recieved, as did the rest 
of us, I begin to wonder why that message was sent to the entire list. After 
a close read, I don't feel that the message was in keeping with the part of 
our posting guidelines that say (in part) "no flame wars, if  you have 
something not nice to say, say it off the list. "

 Take it from an experienced troller, if the message Joe recieved wasn't a 
troll for a flame war,  then there was what I can only surmise was a 
"momentary lapse of reason" in the mind of the composer of that message. And 
I have been around long enough to see several other momentary lapses by the 
same composer, at least one directed at me personally, so I understand how 
Joe must feel.

If that message had come from another area, I would likely not be 
responding, as Joe Potts was on the top of his game in eloquence in his 
response message. But perhaps when we don't have so many coded messages 
labeled as humor, and in more than one persons opinion, a waste of 
bandwidth,  from a particular corner, more tolerance might be exercised.

My .02 was Joe West's messages about his carb problems were on topic, and 
had a bit of mystery to them. He continued through to the end, and showed us 
a picture of a carb malfunction that IFO had never seen before.  That made 
his message on topic, not a waste of bandwidth, and a learning experience 
for many of us. If only such could be said about the "humorless" banter 
about several autocrossers on the list. Sadly, it cannot.

Joe West has done quite a bit for our Corvair community in the short time he 
has been with us. I appreciate and applaud his efforts, and hope that what 
must have been a momentary lapse of reason by one poster does not send him 
packing.

Off list flames accepted as always. Do the right thing.

Regards
Hank




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "N. Joseph Potts" <pottsf at msn.com>
Subject: RE: <VV> Bandwidth, was A picture of the (ahem...)


> Joe's posts were brief and to the point. The end effect, for me, was
> something like a suspense novel unfolding (pleasing dramatic effect).
> Indeed, I enjoyed the thread FAR more than I usually like back-and-forths 
> of
> humor (which I delete when they are so labelled).
>     The end effect of Joe's thread, however inefficient or drawn out, WAS
> rather informative, and I'd hate for posters to be deterred from posting
> such information by the fear that the ultimate obviousness of their 
> problem
> might draw complaints from readers. The car IS new to Joe, I believe, and
> perhaps Corvairs as well. The voyage of discovery quite drew me in, as you
> can see.
>
> Joe Potts
> Miami, Florida USA
> 1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C
>
>