 March/April 2001 (XXXIX 2) |
hilapeace [http://philapeace.org], PYM's new Peace and Concerns Network, now functions as an e-mail "listserv" as well. What, you might ask, is a listserv? An e-mail listserv is a kind of a computer program, in popular use for more than twenty years, that allows individuals to send messages to interested other people without having to keep their e-mail addresses. Major Quaker listserves include quaker-l (general interest), quaker-p (peace and concerns) and quaker-b (British Quakers).
Since we already have these Quaker listserves, and there is a plethora of other special interest listserves, why create yet another? Philapeace focuses on PYM. Friends in Australia may not care to hear about the exciting speaker coming to your Meeting's adult class, or you might not want to talk about it in a wide setting. In a very big listserv, a middle school Friend might not feel safe raising a concern about which she is not yet clear. Each listserv develops its own flavor and it is hoped that Philapeace will develop a warm, friendly quality less oriented to theoretical argument. Also, there is opportunity for personal connection, friendship and outreach as each Friend is identified by Meeting. Most importantly, however, Philapeace can help increase the sense community within PYM. With an additional channel of communication, Friends can more easily see beyond our individual selves and our local Meetings and open ourselves to supporting each other in carrying out God's will, in living our faith as a corporate body.
What makes a good posting
A good posting is personal, concise and directed to the reading audience. In Philapeace, the reader is someone in the PYM community who is interested either in all messages or has picked the current subject area (Conscientious Objection, Middle East, Earth's Environment, Criminal Justice, Gun Control, etc.) If your message will be fairly long, more than a screen or so, add it as an attachment along with either something excepted from the attachment or a description so the reader can make an informed choice about opening it or not. In his journal John Woolman helps us understand that detaining three hundred people for one minute, besides other evils, does an injury like that of causing one person to scroll for five hours without cause. Please "save as" HTML or plain text (think "plain speech") because proprietary formats such as Microsoft Word are not readable to anyone who does not own the particular program you use.
Examples of less than ideal postings are: forwarded messages with no explanation why you think Friends might be interested; messages that include the whole text of copyrighted material from the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. (they do not give permission); messages that begin, for example, "Here is a very long message. It's been forwarded many times and all the lines break in the middle. Of course, as a very busy person, I didn't actually read it, but feel I've done my duty in regard to this important cause by passing it on."
Please post at least a brief message in the "Introductions — tell us about yourself" section of the Philapeace web site, even if you are bashful. It is also helpful to give new people a warm reply. Recall that the reader is a fellow PYM person who wants to read messages in the "Introductions" section. Welcome messages and introductions help to build a warm community. When you only read (technically called "lurking"), the rest of us are unable appreciate your presence and the presence, through you, of your Meeting.
Log on to http://philapeace.org today and join PYM's Peace and Concerns Network! For assistance, call me at 215-843-8747 or e-mail laurence@pym.org.
Laurence Sigmond
Germantown Meeting (PA)
PYM Meetings Initiatives Coordinator for Peace and Concerns
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM