In May I wrote 2 items laying out my reasons for no longer contributing to two listservs I’d been on for a long time. Several people have asked, just today someone did. Since people looking at this blog don’t necessarily go back several months and since I’d been on those listservs for many years, I’m posting again why I left – blanking a few names since I’m still not sure what the “netiquette” is in such matters.
Ha! Yes, after over 16 years, I have stopped contributing to flteach. The reason is simple: a post from a mainstay of the list came in declaring that learning the vocabulary of a fl is just like learning the vocabulary of science or any other discipline. I replied: “So learning a fl is like learning science?” I figured that would draw the person out to explain how, after all these years of research and experience saying learning a fl is NOT like learning other school subjects, esp the vocabulary, that this person would have something to say.
The odd thing was, he did. He first laid out his ideas on it. Fine. But then he added that I was insincere. Then another stalwart of the list, wrote about how insincere I was and another joined in, writing how Socrates would set up straw men to knock down and on and on.
So I’m thinking: you know, I’ve been on this List for 16 years plus and how someone could think I was being insincere and devious was not something I cared to take on. Yet here I was, being left out to swing in the wind. I decided that if I didn’t have the energy to respond to these insults and distortions, people on the list would assume I had been duly chastised and had tucked my tail and changed the subject. Then I thought, if I don’t respond to this, then I needn’t respond to anything else.
So after a couple of weeks, I realized I was getting more done (studying languages, blogging, doing household chores, etc.) and I should continue.
My reason for not contributing to the moretprs listserv was different. I put in something on politics and said that if anyone objected, I would cease. Someone did write and say they thought I should take it elsewhere; not in a mean way but just that they felt the listserv was not a place for politics.
So I thought about what is happening in education and to teachers and thought: no way. Politics is how we run things, including our schools. It’s not possible to discuss what’s happening in our schools and profession without talking politics. And that’s why I decided to stop contributing to moretprs.
But thanks for asking. A couple of other people have written, too. That’s nice. All I can say is either go on the Latin lists or go to my blog. I am still holding forth, ranting, and blathering there… and I have more time to do it. 🙂 I will put this on my blog, too, so others can read why, exactly, I no longer contribute (tho I do read).