RE: [Harp-L] sorry

["John Balding" <John.Balding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is not directed at anyone or any post. Just something that came to
mind from my own experience.

To any new list members - Here is the way I interpret the banter on this
list:

Think of it as a bunch of close friends sitting around a campfire
sipping a few drinks and shooting the bull. There will be laughter.
There will be rib-poking. There will be all-out arguments. There will be
those whom we don't want to sit next to, and there will be those we
can't wait to talk to again. And there will be stories which amuse us
and advice which enlightens us. At the end of the day, we're all glad we
made the trip and glad we have some friends to share the experience with
us.

The only difference with the list is that we can't see the facial
expressions of the other posters. (I think this has been brought up
before, actually.) Not being able to see expression and body language,
it is sometimes difficult to discern dry humor from plain-old sarcasm. 

Also, if someone responds to you like a butt-munch, chances are that
everyone on the list already knows that they are a butt-munch and will
just roll their eyes when they read the reply anyway.

My advice to anyone new is to reread the "offending" post a few times.
Read it with emphasis and nuance on different words and see if it comes
off differently. Read it with the "campfire analogy" in mind. You may
realize that there is more than one interpretation of the wording.

Remember - The newest ingredient in the pot will always have to be
softened up a bit before it becomes part of the stew. If people here are
not treating you like an "honored guest", it simply means that they
already accept you as a friend. So go build a campfire...

John "Former Newbie" Balding
Tallahassee, FL