Dinosaurs, the next frontier

[Mickey Rowe <rowe@psych.ucsb.edu>]

When HP Darren Naish (darren.naish@port.ac.uk) wrote:

> First off, can I suggest that people stop hypothesising about
> imaginary dinosaurs. This list is supposed to be for dinosaur
> science, not science fiction.

He violated one of our recommendations on dinosaur list policy.
Specifically rule 8h begins:

   The proper procedure for terminating a thread that you think has
   worn out its welcome on the list is to write to me
   (rowe@psych.ucsb.edu) or Mary (MKirkaldy@aol.com) with a specific
   complaint about the thread and why you think it's gone on long
   enough

Ordinarily we don't point out infractions publicly, but in this case
I'd like to use Darren's message as the springboard for something that
I hope will improve the signal to noise ratio on this list...

I agree with Darren's appraisal of the imaginary dinosaur thread, so I
am shutting that thread down now.  Do not write to this list about
imaginary dinosaurs unless you want to risk being timed out for a week
-- any message received at dinosaur@usc.edu with a date stamp more
than two hours after the date stamp on this message will be subject to
the full force of rule 8h.  (As an aside, Darren, no punitive action
is currently associated with your breach, so you're in the clear).

Now for the next frontier...  I have today decided to begin an
experiment.  Saying that a discussion does not belong here is not the
same as saying that the discussion is without value.  Therefore I have
set up a new mailing list specifically for the purpose of continuing
threads we deem to have worn out their welcome on the dinosaur mailing
list proper.  If you would like to continue the discussion about what
might have evolved if the non-avian dinosaurs had not bought the farm
at the K/T transition, please go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DinosaurMailingList-KilledThreads

If you are not currently subscribed to any Yahoo groups, you will
probably need to register with Yahoo first (it is free, and all of you
should be subscribed to the dinofaq group --
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dinofaq --anyways).

As of this moment I am not planning to enforce any rules on the
DML-KilledThreads list, so you may feel free to write anything you
want on that list.  Formally I will recommend that any threads killed
here be moved there for all interested parties.  Additionally I hereby
open that forum for you to vent your spleen on any off-topic subject
that comes up on this list.  If somebody brings up politics, religion,
creationism, fossil sales, crypto-zoology or any other subject matter
we've previously stated does not belong here, do *NOT* follow it up on
the dinosaur list.  If you feel something must be answered and you
know the answer doesn't belong here, follow it up on the KilledThreads
list (and cc the author of the message you're addressing to make sure
they see it).  Flame away if you wish since you will not be
reprimanded there unless members ask me to change that laissez-faire
policy.  At the moment I have set my own DML-KilledThreads
subscription to "NoEmail", so there is no guarantee that I will even
see any particular message sent to that list.  Feel free to complain
about me there if such is your desire (though don't expect me *not* to
see your message also since I will at least glance at the list's
content from time to time).

Note also that you can post files or include attachments to messages
sent to yahoogroups.  You can share your artwork there (though I don't
recommend it because I think Yahoo has some strange ideas on ownership
of material posted through their groups).

I hope everyone finds the new group useful.

While I'm here, let me also add that when we created the seven message
per day limit on postings to the dinosaur mailing list we never *ever*
thought of that as an invitation for you to actually submit seven
messages per day.  The idea was that on *rare* occasions when you
think you have a lot to say you might reach that limit.  If you find
yourself feeling a need to write to the list that often on a regular
basis I strongly urge you to find a copy of:

  Author: Meddaugh, Susan
  Title: Martha speaks
  Publisher: Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
  Description: 1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
  Notes: Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak
         after eating alphabet soup.
  Language: English
  Subjects: Dogs--Fiction

and imagine that you are Martha.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Your humble listowner,

-- 
Mickey Rowe     (rowe@psych.ucsb.edu)