[Harp-L] RE: Opinion Pecking Order

[Snaruhn@xxxxxxx]

On Sept. 7th nonidesign@xxxxxxx sent a remarkable post and at the end
mentioned an idea I never read on harp-L since I joined the list in 1996.

At first, "nonidesign" (why do listlers often forget their names?) praised 
harp-L:
 
< I like those posts (on harp details) not because I give a hoot about how to 

< tune a harp to play 16th century Irish songs in Richterorianologistic 
tuning 
< or whatever, but rather because I know I couldn't hear those conversations 
< anywhere else, and I might learn sumptin'. > 

or found it remarkable that even "underdeveloped" questions get an answer: 

< I have never read anyone ripping a new player for asking a question 
< like "what are those 10 holes for?"  >

Heehe, when I recently said that the "hell is installed for people asking
such questions like you" = what the chromatic button is good for, I hope
that nobody took that at face value - Harpie said that.

Now comes the point:
  
<  ......because when you boil it all down it's all about playing harmonicas 
< and, truth be told, harmonicas are not high on the important things in life 
list. 
< It may seem that way on HArp-L, but let's be honest, we're talking 
< harmonicas here, not breakthroughs in ending world hunger. >

You are absolutely right. Though I´m a rather old harp freak, actually
focussed on the more technical construction, I´ve never forgotten among
all these hot and hottest discussions on harp-L that you can´t eat a 
harmonica
when you are hungry.   

Of course, all this has nothing to do with the subject. But, heeehe,
"people do read things into what is written" as John Ross correctly said and 
so,
it´s not always necessary to stay at the point.

In this "connection", Larry´s invitation: 

>ALL YOU OTHER LURKERS, please speak up. This is your list, too. It will 
> make it more fun for all. >  

is understandable and moving.

However, there are many reasonable considerations why listlers are lurking 
only and not contributing. The pecking order is surely one. But some are 
really 
tired to talk about things discussed again and again. Then, some have the 
feeling that the spirit of harp-L has changed (old list members will know 
what
I mean). And last not least, some simply think that there are many other 
things 
worth to spend more time on, i.e. that´s what "nonidesign" meant and even 
harp profs can´t doubt that.     

Cheers!

Siegfried