Maybe what is needed is to go from being, as I believe we currently are,
a non-moderated list to being a moderated list? We could still leave
list subscription and posting open to anyone, but would have some
guidelines about what was and was not an appropriate post. Posts deemed
inappropriate (as agreed on by the group) would be caught by the
moderator and returned with a standard response for that teachable
moment. For the rest of us on the list, the post would never see the
light of law-lib day, so to speak.
Is this an option we could be considering?
Personally, I would like to see the list stay as open as possible. I do
find requests for auto blue book values a bit trying, but then I've got
a great relationship with my Delete key. :-)
Judy
Judith A. Flader
Washington County Law Library
Stillwater, Mn
"The Birthplace of Minnesota"
Joe Stephens wrote:
>
> The recent spate of inappropriate questions has occasioned an interesting
> discussion. To me, these questions are a little like getting reference
> questions on my home phone. I wonder how in the world this person got my
> number. However, the volume is not yet so large that I would close the
> list, since I think we just as often get interesting posts from
> non-subscribers. I am inclined to agree with Laura Orr that this is
> likely to be a teachable moment, and that the list should respond in some
> standard way.
>
> I assume that individuals on the list generally do respond in one way or
> another. I fear that they often flame the hapless poster who wanders in
> with a question, who knows how? I suggest that the standard response
> should be a brief description of the nature and purposes of law-lib, and
> a referral to a more appropriate resource. For example, The Internet
> Public Library (www.ipl.org), where requests for Blue Book values is a
> FARQ (Frequently Asked Reference Question). The other large class of
> questions are those seeking free legal advice, and the response here
> should be that no such advice is available here, and any free legal
> advice offered anywhere should be viewed with suspicion.
>
> The question for the list is how to draft a standard response, and insure
> that this is how such postings are answered. Any volunteers?
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Joe K. Stephens
> Law Librarian Phone: (503) 986-5644
> Oregon Supreme Court Library Fax: (503) 986-5623
> 1163 State Street E-Mail: jstephen@willamette.edu
> Salem, Oregon 97310
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 14 2007 - 20:49:43 PST