I wasn't going to get drawn into this thread but.....
I am a new member of the list and I already appreciative the help given by Mr John and Ms
Thornbury, both of whom clearly contribute a geat deal of knowledge, research and time to
novices such as myself. But I am sure others have found the tone of the dialogue between
them as unsettling as I have - this is after all a list set up with the objective of
mutual cooperation and assistance.
Having read the mail between them it seems to me that neither emerges blameless from the
exchange and it saddens me that an interesting pastime should be marred by rudeness
between other members. However, we all do and say things from time to time that we regret
or are inappropraite. To remove either or both from the list seems to me a loss to other
members. I suggest the listowner just ask both parties to make any future comments and
requests politely (regardless of provocation).
As for Mr John's multiple postings to the list - well it wasn't clear whether the
listowner regarded them as a more serious abuse than the rudeness (it wasn't for me -
civility rules OK). I guess they were a bit of a nuisance but as a newcomer researching in
just the villages related to the postings I have put them on one side to look at later (as
I do with many other postings that are not immediately relevant - surely they just come
with the territory of a forum such as this).