Tension on Cybalist

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 629
Date: 1999-12-18

Attachments :
Dear Cybalist members,
 
I feel embarrassed about my involvement in the recent exchange of insulting remarks on the list. I think we'd better draw some constructive conclusions from this embarrassing situation to make sure that in the future the list should be used only as a forum for discussing linguistics, not as anyone's soapbox.
 
I know from my experience as a teacher of phonology and historical linguistics that lay people are perfectly capable of grasping the gist of fairly complex problems if you present those problems clearly and do not try to keep your audience at a distance by ridiculing their questions and getting annoyed at their ignorance (to emphasise your own dearly-bought superiority).
 
Discussion lists are not reserved for experts. Experts have their own exclusive forums, such as postgraduate seminars, scholarly meetings, conferences and journals. If I meet fellow linguists on the Net, it's great fun to exchange opinions with them. But I also meet many amateurs who have something interesting to say and who make me look at familiar problems in a new light. Indeed, some of those "amateurs" have keener minds and wider interests than many an expert. I'm always open to questions and enjoy contact with people who are honestly curious about language and linguistics. If I were to snub them because they haven't got enough formal training to publish in peer-reviewed journals, I'd have to hate my students as well.
 
Discussion-list postings are not substitute publications. There's no obligation to blaze new trails or provide detailed evidence for your ideas. They are like ordinary conversation between people who like to think and share their ideas. I can relax and say things I wouldn't publish, indulge in speculation and thought experiments. There are more suitable places for lofty scholarship. But one part of any scholar's bounden duty is to popularise his or her discipline outside the academia. You can only do that by inviting other people to play a game which they can join as active participants. For the reasons laid out above I'm for a democratic list on which no member is treated as the oracle.
 
This list would be a better place if it were properly moderated. I understand that Cyril Babaev has little time to spare (a glance at his website will tell you why) and can hardly afford to preside all the time over the list he created. I don't expect any volunteers to queue for the job; I wouldn't be able to do it myself. We'll probably have to rely on self-imposed discipline. The recent postings by Brent and Sabine contain some excellent ideas.
 
I agree with Brent that those of the members who can offer some didactic help, suggest books to read, websites to visit, etc., should by all means show more initiative in doing so. I agree with Sabine that filling in one's personal profile on the Cybalist main page is a friendly gesture we owe each other. Anonymity on the Net may be convenient, but I, for one, prefer to talk to people who have names and identities. I also believe it makes for civility if you can't hide behind an enigmatic e-mail address.
 
Finally, I think any members who are not really interested in topics related to Indo-European linguistics but who use the list as an opportunity to shout out their personal manifestos should be given fair warning and struck off the list if they ignore it.
 
Would anyone like to comment on this?
 
With best wishes to everyone,
 
Piotr