A quick note on Anita's note. There are diferent ideas about running a list. I am a member of a list (h-demog) that covers the subject of historical demography. It is part of the h-net series of lists and is, like many of them, moderated. Messages sent to h-demog first go to the moderators (actually two co-moderators). If one or the other of them approves it, it is sent on to the list. This of course requires some time, and the moderators are looking for another person to help in the co-moderation. They ask for vitas as part of the application. All in all, they treat the mailing list as a published news letter, an electronic publication, a place where only messages which apply to the subject are wanted. Since it was my first experience with such a group, I asked the moderator if perhaps the moderation explained the relative lack of traffic on the list, and he said that he is a member of several moderated lists which have quite lively discussions. I think (guess) that many of the h-net groups are similar. It's not really censorship, just a different way of dealing with the medium. Also I can point out that the mailing list programs (listserv, majordomo, listproc, etc.) all allow mailing lists to be open, closed, moderated, unmoderated, and so forth. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Erich Schroeder Phone: (217)785-5996 Research Associate FAX: (217)785-2857 Illinois State Museum GIS Lab Internet: [log in to unmask] http://www.museum.state.il.us/0h/ismdepts/anthro/staff/erich/erich These are my opinions, not those of the State of Illinois. ---------------------------------------------------------------------