[AV Media Matters] The Professional Line

[Jim Lindner <jim@vidipax.com>]

There is a line here that I want to remind all subscribers of - on one
side of that line isprofessional enthusiasm and dare I say "passion"...
across that rather thin and sometimes moving line are
personal/professional attacks. There have been a couple instances on
this list very recently where I as a moderator have had a very tough
time deciding what to do. We have all benefitted by the VERY EXCELLENT
threads going on at the moment. BUT I do want to remind EVERYONE that
there are ways to do things where one is not attacking another. Outright
attacks are simply not acceptable behavior. Intelligent discussion is
very much acceptable behavior. Asking a question - no matter how simple
- is also very acceptable behavior. Berating someone for asking it is
NOT acceptable behavior. I don't really want to be in the position of
holding posts that cross this line or even contemplating holding them.
If I do feel a posting crosses the line I will ask the writer to
rephrase it a bit - but it is a tough position to put the moderator in -
and I do not particularly want to be in that "role".

I have learned a great deal from these threads (and I believe we ALL
have) and do not want to discourage them, but please keep in mind that
NO ONE needs to be attacked in this forum - no matter how much YOU feel
that you would wish to. There are appropriate places for these types of
disputes - usually in private email, discussion on the phone, discussion
in person, and occasssionally in the courts, but definately NOT in AV
Media Matters. So everyone - please keep the passion but lose venom!

Thank You

Ding Ding
Round 3 Begins

Jim Lindner
Moderator of A/V Media Matters@topica.com