Ok, Lisa, Bob has a point.  I appreciate that you are trying to "warn"
the FML members, but you have a private grievance that probably should
have stayed that way.  Bob, you've said your piece and made your as-
always-eloquent public rebuttal.  Fine.  Are we done now?  My opinions of
neither of you have changed; no reputations were harmed.  I have far more
important things to worry about than your private miscommunication - like
my poor little JL boy.
 
I must say that I feel that dragging Bill Gruber into the middle of this
is patently unfair.  He does a particularly excellent job of moderating
this forum.  It is not his place to police what we say; it is not his
place to be the iron fist.  Doing so would not be moderation; it would be
censorship.  No, his is the task of making the list readable, of keeping
the obvious off-topic posts and spam out of our sight, and of calling a
halt to public disputes that have become nothing but unproductive
displays of spite.  He should be commended for letting through as much as
he does - we are all adults here, if we cannot handle our own disputes
ourselves, we should not expect a third party to do so for us.
 
Bob, I must say that publicly threating to quit the list, to deprive
thousands of uninvolved third parties of your copious wit and wisdom
simply because of a personal disagreement, smacks of over-reacting to me.
It smacks of what you accuse Lisa of - making a public statement in order
to provoke a reaction.  Personally, I'm appalled.
 
I have learned much from Bob's posts, both past and present.  I always
appreciate the vast knowledge and the careful and meticulous detail - and
lack of detail where the facts are not available - that go into every
post.  I never in my wildest dreams imagined myself chiding someone such
as him.  But I find myself called to do just that.
 
I don't know what went on in the original disagreement.  Nor do I care.
I will never give it another thought.  I would, on the other hand,
appreciate being able to enjoy more of Bob's insights and opinions in the
future.
 
Now, kids, if you will excuse me, I have a desperately ill ferret who
needs my attention and is far more important to me than this little
spat.....
 
Roger Vaughn
[Posted in FML issue 3869]