Normally, BEE-L moderators have a pretty simple job.  Our job to stop
SPAM, viruses, mail bombs, obvious trolls and responses to trolls,
uncivil exchanges, flooding, loops, etc.

In normal times, 95%, or more, of the material and submitted is quickly
scanned by volunteers for format, gross error, suitable content, and
routinely sent out to all BEE-L members.  In normal times, BEE-L people
are reasonably considerate, kind, and polite to one another, and discuss
bees or beekeeping, and are mutually helpful.  Granted, we always have
had some posts that border on trolling, flame-bait, rudeness,
distortion, grandstanding, etc., but in normal times, we don't worry too
much about such things and tend to let borderline cases go by.
Normally, the list members seem to recognise that some people are just
bitchy or stupid or drunk, or whatever, and either delete their posts,
read them with amusement and carry on, or reply mildly to whatever point
piqued their interest -- and they stay on bee topics.  Normally, BEE-L
is a pretty tranquil list, and our job is easy.  Not lately.

Lately, our job has gotten much tougher and more time-consuming.  Rather
than just scan posts, we've actually had to read them, and then try to
decide whether they are a valid contribution of information to the list,
or if they are simply provocative, or reactions which add nothing and
further provoke.  It seems that, for some reason, lately, some are
jumping to conclusions, hitting reply, and heading off on a tangent.  We
have been forced to make difficult judgement calls.  We don't like to
have to do so, and, of course contributors do not like to be rejected.

While BEE-L welcomes competing and novel ideas about bees and
beekeeping, and encourages discussion, BEE-L expects a degree of
decorum, mutual respect, and patience, and adherence to the topic.  The
moderators are very much aware that, while most are here to discuss and
learn, and teach, that people are easily drawn into bickering and
arguments about matters that are not actually about bees, but rather
about people and politics of various sorts.  Sadly, such fascinating
topics are not in our mandate, and after a brief indulgence, we must
return to our core subject.

We would like to thank those who have taken the time to contribute on
several recent threads -- both those who made it under the wire for
relevance and good manners -- and those who did not.  We are asking
contributors to, please, take the time to read their own contributions,
and reflect, before sending them to us, and to re-write anything that
can be construed as an affront to others or as being off-topic for this
list.  We also would like to ask that members limit their posts to one
or two a day each, in order to allow for all to participate.

Thank you,

Your friendly BEE-L moderators.

*** This is a meta-topic, and as such, any replies will be read by the
janitorial staff (only), but such replies will not be passed on to BEE-L
subscribers. ***

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