[-empyre-] -empyprean- signal to noise

[Christina McPhee <christina112@earthlink.net>]

Dear empyreans,


Here is a quote from Melinda's introduction to the month on networkomania:


> Facilitators and writers for lists with diverse intents and formats .....
> examine ethical issues and
> strategies in networking and list management to encourage an workable ratio
> of signal to noise - harnessing this ubiquitous communication medium.>


Melinda is traveling to ISEA and will join us soon.  She is the lead
moderator for this month.  But for those of us not at the conference, and
until she can rejoin us, it is important to keep discussion on empyre
focussed on substantive conceptual issues while remaining civil to one
another.  This means that derogatory remarks regarding the character or
personal decisions of anyone either on this list or off, must not be allowed
to continue further than has occurred in this current exchange.

I have just logged on and read the recent suite of posts.

I beg all of you to please be attentive to the particular ethos of the
-empyrean- space, which is distinctive among lists for its attempt and
desire for a rather  stringent topical and rhetorical organization.


The issues being discussed relative to performance and political issues,
publishing and the nature of community are, needless to say, far from
trivial.  As Melinda says here, these are ethical issues.

It's not whether to discuss these ethical issues, rather, how.

-empyreans- have  been particularly successful so far in keeping personal
attack to nil or minimum presence.

Personal grievance is not part of the remit of -empyre- because its
moderation code tries to maintain a foundation, not in content, but in form,
or etiquette if you will.

Being human and too busy we will screw up from time to time but please bear
with us regarding this matter of courtesy.

  Because of its formality, empyre  desires to maintain a rather public and
neutral space; open and even inviting,  to the participation of those who
are not at the 'center' of new media discourse.  The intent on empyre is to
leave a space that is international in character and tightly focussed on
specific topics of international interest.

Critical discourse, of a kind that avoids vendettas while making incisive
observations, becomes substantive and useful to the broadest readership when
it focuses on the advancement of an impersonal or transpersonal concept.
Thus empyre becomes an open work (in the sense explored by Umberto Eco).

 -empyre- will quickly lose the interest and attention of many of its
readers if leadership (including me) fails to maintain the diplomacy of this
space.  

Certainly the underlying issues, such as what constitutes 'publishing'
online and whether lists are publishing venues, are of great interest.

The quotation below from our opening page states this in a more negative
fashion, but,  in general, please be aware of these guidelines especially
this month. 

Thanks everyone,

Christina




 The facilitators reserve the right to not publish
> posts that disregard these guidelines, or the current month's topics,
> disrespect the featured guests, or monopolize the forum either via individuals
> or group, and may unsubscribe anyone consistently doing so.
> 

cm


-- 
 soundart performance videoinstallation multimedia painting theory


<www.christinamcphee.net>
<www.naxsmash.net>
<www.naxsmash.net/inscapes>