Martin Bennett wrote:

WW has decided that he's going to screw us all over simply because he can't 
handle a few whining complaints from the wowsers who don't like SPAM. 

Be careful when you do people favors.  Eventually they begin to feel 
they're entitled.

Let's be perfectly clear here.  This is WW's list.  He created it.  
He moderates it (and spends quite a lot effort doing so).  Anyone who 
doesn't like the way he's running the list is quite free to create 
their own.

If there's anything *I'm* sick of, it's self-important spammers who 
seem to think they're more important than other anime fans on the 
Internet, when all they are is a bunch of otakus goofing around.  I 
don't have *any* problem with goofing around, but the attitude of 
some of these folks rubs me the wrong way.

It bodes extremely poorly when people's freedom of expression 
is restricted because it impedes on a small minority's style.

Spam, as we define it here, is not expression.  Just because you type 
words into your computer doesn't make it expression.  If you want to 
express something, by all means do so.  Spam is just goofing around.

The net result of this will be even less C&C than before, less fanfics 
('cause these's no point), 

You have to be kidding me.  Fanfics have no point without spam?  I've 
been writing fanfic since 1991 and will probably do so until I die.  
I didn't need silly threads to inspire me.

less members 

There will definitely be fewer members.  However, the signal-to-noise 
ratio will go up.

and, eventually _NO_ML_! 

I highly doubt that.  If this list is needed, it will survive.  If 
not, well, so be it.
 

The SPAM is what made the ML so friendly. 

Ha!  Let me clue you in on something.  This ML is a fucking JOKE 
outside of our little group!  I don't how many fanfic writers and 
readers I've tried to steer toward this list who said they'd never 
subscribe because they don't want to deal with all the crap.  How 
many people have you seen who unsubscribed as soon as r.a.a.c was 
back on line, because they couldn't deal with the volume of noise?

Don't get me wrong.  I *love* this list.  Anyone who attended my 
panels at KatsuCon 1 & 2 knows that.  But the noise really needs to 
be reined in.

I don't blame WW really

The hell you don't.  You toss around words like "agenda" and later 
predict WW will ban you, then you say you don't blame him?

WW, I support you 100%.  Although I'm not sure this will work in the 
end.  I mean, you can still spam, you just have to insert the mail 
address yourself.

------RM