RARA-AVIS: Rare Bird Droppings (was: Subject Matter)

E J M Duggan (eddie.duggan@suffolk.ac.uk)
Tue, 25 Nov 1997 21:41:23 -0800 I like this list.
It's a place to find some interesting discussion. Usually.
But even when the discussion goes off-topic the list is still OK.
I like the way the 'guy from Toronto' comes down on infringements of the
charter 'like an Artic frost'.
I gasp, hoot and smile over my morning dose of rare bird droppings.
The Lance Chronicles were amusing (though I think there was a crash back
then, so I might've missed some of the exchanges) and we *might be*
about to enjoy a Lance-like episode.

What I don't like is *too much* off-topic stuff.
I'm happy for discussion to *develop* (someone said 'evolve') and thus
reach other areas. Maybe one of the contributors will declare 'Hey, this
is getting off-topic---let's take it to e-mail'.
[Shit, I must be old---I can remember when the Usenet was like that ;->]
Maybe the list-owner will intervene in a thread and call time---that's
OK too. But there's a fine-line between on-topic and off-topic
discussion, like the distinction between noir and hard-boiled. To
decide on which side of the line a post falls can require fine
judgement. Discussions *about* that judgement can provide some of the
more entertaining --- but never the most interesting --- aspects of the
list.

I lurked through the jazz discussion. Very interesting.
I think we can learn a lot from each other (I just learned synefrog's
really called Steve). Maybe Steve (synefrog) would be willing to share
his big paper on noir with the list?

What I *don't like* about the list is the general aversion to 'snipping'
material in responses. The worst offender of late has gotta the recent
post that contained *fifteen words* to tell us the sender is going away
from a few days holiday (not even to a pulp fest or noir-convention,
mind you)---followed by *fifteen lines* of a 'quoted' and seemingly
unrelated post---complete with signatures and list-footers! [The poster
isn't the only offender, so I'm sorry to highlight one particular post,
but it was a *particularly wicked* example of what I'd call *list
abuse*]
It can be a bit of a [what's a word?] to scroll down the digest and
watch multiple copies of the untrimmed, quoted, posts wind by. If we
wanted this type of stuff we could all go join dorothy-l.

I'm looking forward to re-reading _The Maltese Falcon_ and have a couple
of things to finish before then. I'm coming to the end of William F.
Nolan's _Black Mask Murders_ (heavy-handed hokum, imo; not as convincing
as Joe Gores's _Hammett_. I also had to dig out the two Sharman pbs
that were waiting tbr (I *live* in a tbr pile). I picked 'em up a few
months ago in Greenwich for a quid each :-) along with a parking ticket
:-( _Paint It Black_ will have to wait; though I'm dipping into the
collection _Sharman and other filth_ (I used to go to school just up the
road from Hendon Central Station btw).
Maybe some Brit-noir could be added to the group tbr list? (I say this
with _London Noir_ and _Fresh Blood_ within eye-shot).

Apologies if this reads like an evangelical rant
(I'll try to get my old form back for the _TMF_ discussion)
Keep up the good work

ED

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