REFLECTOR: New Member Intro

Brian Michalk michalk at awpi.com
Thu Apr 23 19:20:00 CDT 2009


Brett,

Your dependence on me acting as the gatekeeper of your Velocity email
inbox is flawed.  There are already other websites that mirror the
content from this forum.  Keeping the content safe would require each
subscriber to not copy emails from this forum and post them elsewhere.
Anything a person posts in any forum should be considered as if you were
speaking in public.

I have never kicked anyone off the list for bad behavior, although I've
come close.  I routinely deny people access, and routinely allow access
to the list.  As far as the list's affiliation with the Velocity
factory, there is none.  I do not receive compensation from the factory,
other than the odd donation, which I believe was three years ago.  The
factory has no claim to this forum, not do I claim any allegiance to the
factory.  Any paperwork you received from the Velocity factory regarding
membership in this forum was merely informational.  I don't believe it
implied exclusive community access, or even guaranteed access.

Years ago, the Reflector members voted as to the status of how to grant
access to the forum.  The policy stated at www.tvbf.org was the agreed
upon policy, with me acting as judge whether to allow membership.  There
are merits on either side of the access policy.  I am open to the idea
of restricting access, or opening up the forum, but it's not my
decision; it's the group's decision.  I feel that the current policy is
working pretty well.  We've had maybe three flame wars in the years
since 1998 when I inherited the list.  The content is almost always high
quality.

The only method I use to screen for access is the response I get from
people wanting to join.  I think there are bots that never reply to my
query, and there are people that reply with an obviously incorrect
serial number.  I do not check with the factory if the serial numbers
are otherwise valid.

I run this list at the pleasure of the Velocity community.  I registered
the domain, TVBF.org so that it would travel with the community.  I have
no intention of keeping this domain for personal use, and would insist
that the next person to host the list use the domain.

I do not attempt to squash competition.  If someone wants to start an
alternative list, that is their prerogative, and I believe there are a
few Velocity based lists in existence out there.

Brett Ferrell wrote:
> Brian,
> 
> So, to paraphrase, you /do/ think it's within your purview to allow
> anyone (access to my inbox) that you deem to add a value to the
> community?  If so, do you assume the reciprocal privilege as well, to
> censor anyone whom you think is /not/ a value (whether a kit
> builder/owner/flyer or not)?  Have you banned a builder/owner in the
> past?  I just want to be clear, because that's not the deal I thought I
> signed up for.  The paperwork I got from the factory about joining for
> the reflector back in 2001 clearly implied any kit/aircraft owner could
> join by providing their serial number to awpi.com.  I like that
> simplicity because it's not open for interpretation.
> 
> Brett
> 
> 
> Brian Michalk wrote:
>> I always get confirmation from each person who requests to be added to
>> the list.  From the main web page:
>>
>> To join the Reflector mailing list, click on the button below.
>> Please note the mailing list is open to Velocity airplane builders,
>> co-owners, factory affiliates, or other people demonstrating a value
>> to the Velocity community.
>>
>> If you are a new subscriber, please include your kit serial number
>> with your request, or justification for membership:
>>
>> John said he had a prop on hand that was not delivered to a customer. 
>> That, in my opinion is a demonstrated value to the Velocity community,
>> since that prop is ubiquitous on our planes.
>>
>> This is not the end of the world.  I have moderation authority, and
>> can remove John just as easily as I added him.  If he or anyone on the
>> list abuses the privileges of the list, then they are censored as fast
>> as I can respond.
>>
>> There are a few non-velocity owners here.  Some prospective buyers
>> that I will allow if they've bought the marketing pack, or had a
>> factory ride.  They have to show some level of commitment.  There are
>> also a handful of vendors well known in the canard community.  They've
>> been members for years, and have never been a problem.  I make it
>> clear to these people that my granting them access to the list is a
>> privilege and they should not abuse it.
>>
>> I feel that the message sent with this approach is healthy in that it
>> promotes our aircraft as part of a viable community that should not be
>> ignored while reminding them that this is our sandbox, and they should
>> not act like so many cats crapping in our play area.
>>
>>
> 
> 
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