The moderators' tasks

[Cary Karp <karp@nrm.se>]

Quoting Dana S Emery <emery@onyx.si.edu>

> It is common for hazardous substances to be necessary in the work we will
> be discussing here.  It should be remembered that the precautions
> appropriate to such substances are not necessarily second nature to some of
> the readers of this list, the present signon proceedure cannot screen
> against the enthusiasm of youth or other forms of lunacy and inexperience.
> . . .
> This is one area where I would hope the moderator would exert the editorial
> discretion that is his adding [ed: ... ventilation or hood recomended ..]
> disclaimers where we fail to.

Given that the list is open for public subscription we would, indeed,
expect to have list members who lack any professional erudition within the
scope of the list. The list is moderated to avoid any postings
recommending procedures which, when judged against established museum
practice, might result in an object being put in jeopardy. We had not
considered being similarly cautious about health hazard, but it would
certainly be reasonable for us to take this into account, as well. 

The list currently has four moderators, although I am the only one who has
as yet been active in this regard. There are several reasons for this and
the four of us aren't likely to sort things out among ourselves before the
middle of September. In the interim, it would be very helpful if anyone
else who has thoughts about the scope of the moderators' tasks could
forward them to us.

It has already been suggested that my life would be a lot easier if the
moderatorship were abandoned and the list left to be self-polising.
Although this may well end up being a necessity, I'd just as soon not do
so quite yet. There are good reasons for at least summary filtering of
material that can result in damage both to objects and people. Also, there
is reason to suspect that the list, if left to its own devices, might end
up more in the realm of amateur musical instrument making than serious
objects conservation. Although there may well be a need for a network
forum for instrument makers, micat-l is not intended to be it.