Klarinet Archive - Posting 000900.txt from 1997/02

From: R Tennenbaum <rtenn@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Upsetting situation
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 07:05:52 -0500

Neil Leupold wrote:

>If there is an element of
>intolerance on Klarinet, it is for elitest holier-than-thou bullsh*t
>such as that posted above. What kind of list would this be if we
>trivialized and censored the sincere inquiries made by those on the
>list who are less advanced or knowledgable than we? Why is anybody
>a member of this list in the first place if not to exercise the
>joyous freedom of posing whatever questions are on our minds and
>being shown gracefully and competently how we might overcome a
>particular difficulty...or enrich our understanding of clarinet
>literature and performance?

You are right, it was a foolish and silly post, and I have responded
to Ken with an apology. I regret it all the more because in my own
experience I have found nothing more worthy of contempt than the
tendency to discourage curiosity and initiative.

However, I should also say that I gathered that Ken was reposting a
private message, which seemed to me something which is not done. Had
I been the person who'd sent it to him, I would have taken great
offense. And to the extent that it's possible to lean on this list
excessively, I also felt that the person who responded to him had a
point: for example, it's one thing to offer a horn for sale, but IMHO
asking several times afterwards whether it's a reasonable price, how
much subsequent offers should come down, etc is of concern not so
much because it trivializes the list, but because it sounds like
going in circles.

In any case, I restrict subsequent efforts at policing to my own
perimeter, and I apologize to the list at large for doing what I had
criticized someone else for, posting stupidly.

RT