I wish you would stop calling stuff off topic because its you who are
going to discourage people from participating. You seem to have gotten
the wrong idea. This newsgroup is not just about Rainbow Gatherings.
Other things we Rainbows are interested in are not off topic. What you
seem to want is a group just for One Topic: Rainbow gatherings. I think
that's beautiful and there's nothing stopping you from starting one, but
I don't think you are correct in your assumption that this is it.
When you and BJ say there are other newsgroups we can use for these
other issues, you are simply wrong. For example, I am researching
electro accupuncture and I want to tell people in the Rainbow about it.
I could simply DISCUSS it it any number of health newsgroups, (in fact I
have), but there is no other news group where I can tell rainbows about
it. It has nothing to do with scouting for sites or any particular
rainbow gatherings, but it is something I personally think they ought to
know about and which many of them will find fascinating. Just because
you are not interested in such discussions does not mean they are off
topic. It is not off topic for me to discuss it, it is not correct for
you to keep saying that such topics are off topic, and there is no other
newsgroup where I can discuss it with rainbows.
I'm starting to feel like I'm not welcome here and I'm very carefull to
never go where I'm not welcome. I'm concerned that there may be other
people with other intrests who won't post because they have read your
misinformation. One of the best things about this newsgroup is that it
is one of the few which is not limited to one topic. That means you can
really get to know PEOPLE and not just one topic or another. I want to
encourage people to share more, not less.
The low signal to noise ratio is not a function of topics as much as it
is a function of people's willingness to take the time to communicate,
and to read and write carefully. We all have alot to learn in that
department, but we are never going to learn how to communicate more
effectivelly with each other and with the rest of the world if we are
limited to one topic. I'm interested in anything that is truly
revelutionary, and so are most of the people here. That's how we got
interested in Rainbow Gatherings. There is no reason why we can't share
our other experiences with each other. In fact that is a fundemental
part of the rainbow experience.
Rodeo Red