Doing the right thing. For those not interested in this topic, please move on to the next query/response on this list. Before I begin I would like to say that the following is not meant as criticism. Rather, it is an effort to change a negative into a positive. Recently we have seen the following comments: * I am writing to express my disappointment about how this List is being run the last few months. Sure not like it used to be! I GUESS WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT LIFE DOES GET IN THE WAY FOR MANY OF US. SOME CONTRIBUTORS HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH "OTHER THINGS" SUCH AS FAMILY ISSUES, OR HEALTH OR ARE JUST "TAKING A DEEP BREATH" BEFORE GETTING BACK TO "WORK" - YES IT IS WORK, AND WE DO IT BECAUSE "WE WANT TO HELP". * I really can see down the track if not sooner this List is 'going down the gurgler' which is a shame, there is always a few that have to spoil it for others on this List and in Life in general. THIS LIST IS WHAT YOU AND I MAKE OF IT. SOME GRUMBLE AND PROCRASTINATE. THIS IS NOT A REASONABLE WAY TO BEHAVE - REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS. IF WE HELP EACH OTHER, THE LIST WILL SURVIVE. OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED LAST WEEK MAY BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK. CHANGE can be hard, or OK - depending on how we all deal with it. * sometimes I even hesitate to put anything to the list for fear of someone saying something/anything.... STEAK CAN BE OVERDONE. AN OCCASIONAL BIT OF LIGHT RELIEF OFTEN HELPS US WEARY LISTERS CRACK A SMILE AS WE CARRY ON 'TRYING TO HELP'. * A number of our Listers spend a lot of their spare time and effort to help and then there are others that send the Info without even letting the list know that they have attended to the query. Which to me doesn't seem to be RIGHT WAY at ALL. But they are allowed to get away with it by the List Owner. HMMM - "THE RIGHT WAY" AND "GETTING AWAY WITH IT" - these phrases are so open to interpretation. The former - please indicate you are prepared to respond to the query, then let us know briefly how you have responded. The latter - I dont really want to know why some people think others are "Getting Away with it". Getting away with what. It's all a matter of interpretation. Maybe you speak French. I dont. Maybe I speak Cornish. Maybe you dont. It seems to me that maybe the problem is that some people forget that we live in Australia. We are allowed Freedom of Speech here. We are allowed the freedom to think and say what we think. All we need to remember is to be kind and generous, and accept that people can be different and still live well together. * our List Fuhrer I AM ACTUALLY OFFENDED BY THIS STATEMENT. LIST ADMINISTRATORS HAVE PROVIDED US WITH A WONDERFUL FACILITY - TO FIND, TO LEARN, AND TO SHARE. REALLY - WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT. CAN YOU DO BETTER ? ARE YOU PREPARED TO GIVE THE TIME AND EFFORT TO PRODUCE AN INTERESTING CHALLENGING FACILITY SUCH AS THIS ?? AN OFTEN REPEATED MAXIM - IF YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING NICE, THEN DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. We cannot expect the list administrators to play watchdog all the time. Knowing they [Julie and Ros] are away is no reason for a lack of courtesy. Sooo - please - ask nicely [a bit of detail helps]. Do not expect an answer immediately. Allow us some time to ourselves - and we will reply to you, just accept that it might not be immediately. Please be courteous and stay friendly. Friends are the salt of the earth. Without salt, life can be bland. Ask nicely, reply clearly, remember to say Thank You. AND SMILE. Oh dear - have I said too much - again ?? Cheers from Di Cummings of Melbourne http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/BoundforSouthAustralia.htm

Onya Di! Well said! I felt like adding my two bob's worth but you have encapsulated the essence very well indeed. Cheers the older of the tworobbos at Bairnsdale