Thank you, Nan. I Am too abashed to know what to say right now except Thank you. Jim -----Original Message----- From: orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Nan Fowler Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 1:58 PM To: orcadia@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] ORCADIA Digest, Vol 3, Issue 40 Moderators and censorship: The idea of a Moderator on a listserv is not to sit and choose one posting and not another. If you noticed Jim held back for a while, then when it looked too heated he jumped in and said whoa! and then added another whoa when one of us didn't heed the first whoa. Only then after the second warning did he say that some/one of us was not playing fair and that he was throwing a watch on our notes but that was after a third outburst by a member of the listserv. And he pulled the watch off by the end of the day when the heat finally cooled and now we are back to free flow. That is the way that good moderating works--you don't sit there reading every entry all the time. No one gets their stuff axed unless we have been given a warning. Moderating is like having a friend jump in at the table at the pub,and tells another friend in the group of friends when to cool things down a bit. If things stay heated and on the point of causing a fist fight, sometimes they may have to ask one of his/her friends to step outside and take a breather and come back when they have cooled down--it is not meant to be Nazi like at all when down right. It is meant to be helpful to all as a community of friends--he/she is a member of the listserv too and joins in with conversations (as Pops is doing) too so we can write to them if we think he or she is being too heavy handed. when he/she as said whoa/stop and think about what you are saying (is it Kind/is it True/is it Necessary). Like Anne S. said: it can get miserable and out of hand with out a moderator. I am a moderator on two listservs. It just need a light touch. Thanks Jim, for your moderation--it can at times be a thankless job. PS: Jim, Thanks so much for writing that lovely note for all of us in Royce's Guest Book. Nan > > ************************************** > -- Nan Fowler Adult Education Program Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy River's Crossing, 4th Floor 850 College Station Road University of Georgia Athens, GA USA 30602 You may contact your list admin at any time at ORCADIA-ADMIN@ROOTSWEB.COM. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Feel a little red-faced. Didn't know that Doc. Charles our distinguished Orcadian photographer friend was also the author of the preferred guide book. I had the idea the book was somehow more of pictures, than a guide tool, based on some very old postings here from years back. Mindya his productivity is fine tuned, as with President Obama, with a Canadian called Blackberry! I checked out the site, Charles, and the sections which offer a peek at the guidebooks seemed somehow not to open. Checked Abe's books, and there seems to be issues from 1991, 1999 up to 2006. So I am wondering which is the newest or if the update is forthcoming? Nan's idea of what a moderator on a list server is, has to be valid, in light of the fact that "she are one" and has been for awhile. What I don't understand, is that it seemed to me that the eminent Sigurd Towrie, historian of Orkneyjar, was the one who originally hatched this rooster, and then it somehow drifted off to Royce. What I don't understand, is how it evolves that the site is not "owned" by someone? I felt originally it was either Sigurd himself, or his employer the Orcadian news paper, but that never became too clear. He handed out detailed description of all things Orkney, past and present, with excellence and precision in terms of detail and accuracy. I bought various books online from his store at the Orcadian and the service was super. My upbringing has me believe that things beyond nature, are not free in life. Love, laughter, sunshine, rain, fresh clean air and laughter, seem still to be free. The best things in life, as they say. Our government would have us believe that medical services and education are free, but those of us who have been in business, know differently. They are offered gratis to the user, but here as in Orkney, to describe things like medical service as free, is misleading. Getting to this site, I would not be adverse to paying an annual membership fee, if it would help take the sting out of the moderator's time, or at least buy the fella a plane ticket to Orkney once a year. If 165 people all paid even $10.00 to $20.00 per year, it would seem like a way of feeling like a fairminded and appreciative participant. We all of us in our own ways, seem to value the site for our own reasons. In years gone by, it has been interesting and informative. Perhaps if we were contributing the price of a hamburger and a shake each year, we would all see the value in the site, or at least appreciate it a little more. Good old Karen from Penn. USA is the one person who would win the award for checking in, to say that the BBC has a live Orcadian show on the air. These little prods remind us that the site still works. Like our medical system here, people whine and moan about the service sometimes, forgetting that their out pocket hasn't incurred any credit to keep the ship afloat. It the case of something like Royce's passing, we could have been a little sharper. How could 165 people online miss the departing of our moderator?! Well, it gets back to the same thing. The site goes running off into cyberspace for months at a time, and if it isn't baited with some flaming issue, it seems people won't check in to even say hi or who they are. Many times i thought the site was doomed. Indeed knowing some idea of what country you are from, or of your Orkney interest, is a nice starting point. If there was to be a fee or obligatory donation for the service, then each person could be compelled to explain who they are, what their Orkney interest is, and how many teeth they have of the original set. I have one good friend on here, whom I will leave nameless, who celebrates a 90 birthday in July! I have chatted with others in their twenties. Seems Orkney interested people come in all nationalities and all ages. We have all been...each of us...lucky to have tripped into this little pond. Somebody pays for or paid for the server etc, and the moderator's time and interest has to be considered in some fairminded way. I could never understand why there aren't person's herein who could have a commercial interest in Orkney, like the B and B people, the pubsters, or the artists and shopkeepers. If our numbers grew from 165 to five hundred or so, it becomes a more vital little hotspot of repeat visitors to Orkney. To me, being associated with this group, is like eating in a restaurant. You you should pay a fair price, and leave a tip when the service includes the hint of a smile. In these circumstances, the opinions have more legitimacy, and the moderator isn't left wondering some days, what he is doing and why. So, Pops, when was the last time you were in Orkney, and when are you going next? Steve On Jun 20, 2010, at 2:05 PM, Jim Jackson wrote: > Thank you, Nan. I Am too abashed to know what to say right now > except Thank > you. > > Jim > > -----Original Message----- > From: orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orcadia- > bounces@rootsweb.com] On > Behalf Of Nan Fowler > Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 1:58 PM > To: orcadia@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] ORCADIA Digest, Vol 3, Issue 40 > > Moderators and censorship: > > The idea of a Moderator ....THIS WAS A MEANINGFUL/HELPFUL DESCRIPTION

All, What set me off about censorship is this quote from Charles Tait: "This stie censors me the sole Orcadiian to contribute so sadly goodbye but this will also be censored by a very veru sad person." He is the person who wrote the best guide book to the Islands, who is the most intimate in knowledge of these fair islands, and is always kind and civil and just in his posts. I guess hearing that statement from him made me wonder what was going on. It made me ask who else is being censored, and by whom, and for what reason. OK, there was a bit of nastiness that happened here, but that happens all the time in everyday life as well, and we brush it off and go on. People shout rude things from cars, and get testy with clerks and waters, or they with us, but that's just part of life. We don;t stop driving, shopping or eating. So I guess my feeling is to let happen what happens. Note that the nastiness was quickly quelled by popular vote - which is as it should be in my view. Again, I hesitate to think someone is keeping legitimate messages from us on his own personal decision. So my feeling is let the group tend to any problems in a simple and democratic way. If an individual persists in offending others, let folks simply erase him or her from their send to list. But that would be censorship by the whole, not an individual. In general, this is the most genteel and civilized group I have participated in., Perhaps that's due to a moderator, or, I rather think, it's due to the group being composed of genteel and civilized folks, which is one big reason I like it. As a postscript, I would be very much in favor of people writing in to tell of their experiences in orkney, why they are interested in the place (those living there need not fill in that blank) and where they live now and what they do. I will start it off in another post, but the house is full of guests whom I am neglecting at the moment, so I'll get to it a bit later. Tuck On Jun 20, 2010, at 3:30 PM, stephen davie wrote: > Feel a little red-faced. Didn't know that Doc. Charles our > distinguished Orcadian photographer friend was also the author of the > preferred guide book. I had the idea the book was somehow more of > pictures, than a guide tool, based on some very old postings here > from years back. Mindya his productivity is fine tuned, as with > President Obama, with a Canadian called Blackberry! > > I checked out the site, Charles, and the sections which offer a peek > at the guidebooks seemed somehow not to open. Checked Abe's books, > and there seems to be issues from 1991, 1999 up to 2006. So I am > wondering which is the newest or if the update is forthcoming? > > Nan's idea of what a moderator on a list server is, has to be valid, > in light of the fact that "she are one" and has been for awhile. What > I don't understand, is that it seemed to me that the eminent Sigurd > Towrie, historian of Orkneyjar, was the one who originally hatched > this rooster, and then it somehow drifted off to Royce. What I don't > understand, is how it evolves that the site is not "owned" by > someone? I felt originally it was either Sigurd himself, or his > employer the Orcadian news paper, but that never became too clear. He > handed out detailed description of all things Orkney, past and > present, with excellence and precision in terms of detail and > accuracy. I bought various books online from his store at the > Orcadian and the service was super. > > My upbringing has me believe that things beyond nature, are not free > in life. Love, laughter, sunshine, rain, fresh clean air and > laughter, seem still to be free. The best things in life, as they > say. Our government would have us believe that medical services and > education are free, but those of us who have been in business, know > differently. They are offered gratis to the user, but here as in > Orkney, to describe things like medical service as free, is > misleading. > > Getting to this site, I would not be adverse to paying an annual > membership fee, if it would help take the sting out of the > moderator's time, or at least buy the fella a plane ticket to Orkney > once a year. If 165 people all paid even $10.00 to $20.00 per year, > it would seem like a way of feeling like a fairminded and > appreciative participant. We all of us in our own ways, seem to value > the site for our own reasons. In years gone by, it has been > interesting and informative. Perhaps if we were contributing the > price of a hamburger and a shake each year, we would all see the > value in the site, or at least appreciate it a little more. Good old > Karen from Penn. USA is the one person who would win the award for > checking in, to say that the BBC has a live Orcadian show on the air. > These little prods remind us that the site still works. > > Like our medical system here, people whine and moan about the service > sometimes, forgetting that their out pocket hasn't incurred any > credit to keep the ship afloat. > It the case of something like Royce's passing, we could have been a > little sharper. How could 165 people online miss the departing of our > moderator?! Well, it gets back to the same thing. The site goes > running off into cyberspace for months at a time, and if it isn't > baited with some flaming issue, it seems people won't check in to > even say hi or who they are. Many times i thought the site was > doomed. Indeed knowing some idea of what country you are from, or of > your Orkney interest, is a nice starting point. If there was to be > a fee or obligatory donation for the service, then each person could > be compelled to explain who they are, what their Orkney interest is, > and how many teeth they have of the original set. I have one good > friend on here, whom I will leave nameless, who celebrates a 90 > birthday in July! I have chatted with others in their twenties. Seems > Orkney interested people come in all nationalities and all ages. > > We have all been...each of us...lucky to have tripped into this > little pond. Somebody pays for or paid for the server etc, and the > moderator's time and interest has to be considered in some fairminded > way. I could never understand why there aren't person's herein who > could have a commercial interest in Orkney, like the B and B people, > the pubsters, or the artists and shopkeepers. If our numbers grew > from 165 to five hundred or so, it becomes a more vital little > hotspot of repeat visitors to Orkney. > > To me, being associated with this group, is like eating in a > restaurant. You you should pay a fair price, and leave a tip when the > service includes the hint of a smile. In these circumstances, the > opinions have more legitimacy, and the moderator isn't left wondering > some days, what he is doing and why. > > > > So, Pops, when was the last time you were in Orkney, and when are you > going next? > > > Steve > > > On Jun 20, 2010, at 2:05 PM, Jim Jackson wrote: > >> Thank you, Nan. I Am too abashed to know what to say right now >> except Thank >> you. >> >> Jim >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: orcadia-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:orcadia- >> bounces@rootsweb.com] On >> Behalf Of Nan Fowler >> Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 1:58 PM >> To: orcadia@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] ORCADIA Digest, Vol 3, Issue 40 >> >> Moderators and censorship: >> >> The idea of a Moderator ....THIS WAS A MEANINGFUL/HELPFUL DESCRIPTION > You may contact your list admin at any time at ORCADIA-ADMIN@ROOTSWEB.COM > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message

So, Pops, when was the last time you were in Orkney, and when are you going next? Steve ******** I must confess I have never been but the more I learn about it the more I want to go. My wife and I have talked for several years about a trip to the Isles and Orkney would have to be an important part of the trip. It may be some time, though, before this can become reality since a month ago she had brain surgery. The tumor, a meningioma (benign), was removed and she is making steady progress toward full recovery. Physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy have all played their role. I think being near Emory University Hospital and surgeons who teach their procedures at the Emory University School of Medicine has been a major factor in her doing as well as she is today. The road is long but we will get to the end of it. And we will find our way to Orkney. We will try to give fair warning when we get to go. Best wishes, Jim