[Lnc-business] LNC business list volume and email communication style

brent.olsen at lp.org brent.olsen at lp.org
Mon Aug 20 19:22:24 EDT 2018


We don't need to pass resolutions.  Everything is already covered in the 
Platform.  ;)

-Brent

On 2018-08-20 16:20, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business wrote:
> It will be good when there is another thing like a resolution to hash
>    out.
> 
>    On Mon, Aug 20, 2018 at 4:49 PM Steven Nekhaila
>    <[1]steven.nekhaila at lp.org> wrote:
> 
>      If it is any consolation, I did whip up a forum today if anyone
>      finds it
>      might be useful or relevant to move certain discussions there,
>      pertaining to chat or off topic ideas, or as a place to rally 
> groups
>      to
>      discuss more in depth ideas. A complaint I hear often is that 
> there
>      are
>      loads of e-mails on the business list, and priority messages are 
> few
>      and
>      far between at times, if this is the case we can move a lot of
>      discussion to other channels. The LPF does this with Slack and 
> other
>      services. If this is useful, we can take advantage of it, if not,
>      that
>      is fine too, perhaps it can be used as a stomping ground for
>      members.
>      [2]http://libertarianchat.com/
>      In Liberty,
>      Steven Nekhaila
>      Region 2 Representative
>      Libertarian National Committee
>      Impotentes defendere libertatum non possunt
>      "Those without power cannot defend freedom"
>      On 2018-08-20 06:08 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business wrote:
>      > Whoa.... back up that horse dude.  I ain’t gonna let that slide.
>      You
>      >    are WAY out of bounds.
>      >
>      >    Where did I:
>      >
>      >    Call you a tyrant
>      >
>      >    Call Chuck (one of my best friends in the LP) a latent
>      misogynist
>      >
>      >    The other two I did.  And you have done equally.
>      >
>      >    But sir, you are way out of line particularly regarding Chuck 
> -
>      >    wayyyyyy out of line.
>      >
>      >    And I would say - as I am sick and tired of every single time 
> I
>      > bring
>      >    up potential gender concerns - having it twisted.
>      >
>      >    Our Policy Manual allows these concerns.  And I’m really over
>      not
>      >    having them heard respectfully.
>      >
>      >    There have been past women LNC members who observed the same
>      thing
>      > and
>      >    said their concerns were not being heard.
>      >
>      >    On Mon, Aug 20, 2018 at 3:31 PM Joe Bishop-Henchman via
>      Lnc-business
>      >    <[1][3]lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>      >
>      >      I hesitated whether to reply, but since we're at a point, 
> in
>      my
>      >      opinion,
>      >      where most LNC members seem to have given up wading through
>      the
>      >      flotsam
>      >      of the e-mail list to do business, I figure I should give 
> it
>      a
>      > last
>      >      try.
>      >      Mr. Longstreth said that he thinks it may be a good thing
>      that the
>      >      LNC
>      >      list is "more active," but I disagree in that it's becoming
>      more
>      >      active
>      >      among fewer engaged people. An echo chamber effect emerges 
> -
>      five
>      > or
>      >      six
>      >      people emailing scores of emails to each other about
>      something
>      > gets
>      >      confused for something with broad support.
>      >      Regarding the claim that Ms. Harlos's email style is
>      appropriate
>      >      when
>      >      viewed through a female lens, what I can add is that I work
>      >      extensively
>      >      as a colleague with hundreds of operations and HR
>      professionals
>      >      across
>      >      the country, both of which are female-predominant fields. 
> I'm
>      at
>      >      in-person roundtables and on e-mail lists, often in a small
>      > minority
>      >      of
>      >      men. On those lists, I have not seen a norm of everyone
>      replying
>      > to
>      >      every email, responding to express support or opposition to
>      every
>      >      email,
>      >      or sending 4 emails in a row instead of one when 
> responding.
>      In
>      > fact
>      >      I've participated in HR working groups, as the only man, 
> that
>      drew
>      >      up HR
>      >      policies describing such practices as employee manual
>      violations.
>      >      I read the articles in the Harvard Business Review every
>      other
>      >      month, I
>      >      interact regularly with over a thousand state officials and
>      > several
>      >      hundred business leaders, and work closely with dozens of
>      leaders
>      > of
>      >      organizations at the federal and state level. That list
>      includes
>      >      many,
>      >      many successful women whom I admire and respect. And none
>      engage
>      > in
>      >      that
>      >      described e-mail conduct.
>      >      Frequent replies are tolerable if they're a continuing
>      building on
>      >      each
>      >      other's ideas, sharing achievements, and working through
>      problems
>      >      with a
>      >      back-and-forth. Ms. Harlos referenced this in saying 
> building
>      >      personal
>      >      relationships is important for our ability to work 
> together,
>      and a
>      >      back-and-forth is helpful for that. Others have expressed
>      similar
>      >      wishes. I don't disagree.
>      >      Assuming that to be true, however, that nevertheless
>      describes few
>      >      of
>      >      our e-mails. Ms. Harlos has sent emails to the LNC list
>      calling me
>      > a
>      >      dictator, Mr. Moulton a latent misogynist, Ms. Hogarth 
> rude,
>      Mr.
>      >      Phillips hysterical and devoid of rationality, etc. If the
>      goal
>      >      there is
>      >      to build personal relationships, I don't see it happening
>      that
>      > way.
>      >      There have been other offenders - I still remember being
>      shocked
>      >      when
>      >      Ms. Adams described a proposal of mine (the JC
>      acknowledgement
>      > one)
>      >      as
>      >      "bullshit," "unacceptable," "gross," "vile," and 
> "sickening."
>      Many
>      >      others have had moments of incivility. But what Mr. Moulton
>      >      catalogued
>      >      in his email is like nothing I've encountered before - and 
> I
>      was a
>      >      libertarian in the Berkeley student government, which is
>      tensely
>      >      civil
>      >      and barely functional at its best.
>      >      My schedule has been awful in the last few months and I've
>      only
>      > been
>      >      able to talk on the phone with about a quarter of you so 
> far,
>      > fewer
>      >      than
>      >      I had hoped and promised. Of those of you I have spoken 
> with,
>      > there
>      >      are
>      >      many amazing ideas for building up party infrastructure,
>      getting
>      >      people
>      >      elected and re-elected, and filling a massive gap being 
> left
>      by
>      > the
>      >      chaos in the Republican and Democratic parties. I'd love to
>      be
>      > able
>      >      to
>      >      hash such things out on the list to make good ideas even
>      better in
>      >      advance of our meetings. But that's not going to happen
>      unless we
>      >      stop
>      >      calling people names when they float ideas or cast votes,
>      stop
>      >      derisively dismissing each other when they disagree, and 
> stop
>      >      sending
>      >      repetitive or multiple emails in reply whenever anyone
>      expresses
>      > an
>      >      opinion. These are not "different styles of communicating,"
>      it's
>      >      bullying and abusive.
>      >      If we don't stop doing those things, you can move the
>      discussion
>      > to
>      >      whatever forum or format you want, but the poison will 
> follow
>      us
>      >      there.
>      >      For these reasons, I formally object to setting up any LNC
>      >      discussion
>      >      forum, bulletin board, Facebook group, PHP setup or server,
>      or
>      >      system
>      >      other than the existing e-mail list and our in-person
>      meetings.
>      >      JBH
>      >      ------------
>      >      Joe Bishop-Henchman
>      >      LNC Member (At-Large)
>      >      [2][4]joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
>      >      [3][5]www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837
>      >      On 2018-08-20 06:59, Richard Longstreth wrote:
>      >      > Chuck,
>      >      >
>      >      > I appreciate your input as well. From my point of view I
>      have to
>      >      say
>      >      > that if I see an email I wish to respond to, I will. The
>      reason
>      > is
>      >      > that chatter and discussion is exactly how deliberation
>      takes
>      >      place.
>      >      > For too long the LNC has accomplished less than what it 
> is
>      > capable
>      >      of
>      >      > and that is at least in some part to people not being
>      actively
>      >      engaged
>      >      > in email discussion. You can review the past. Typically I
>      don't
>      >      > respond where unecessary, however, I reserve the right 
> and
>      >      encourage
>      >      > all LNC members to respond to whatever email they see 
> fit.
>      >      >
>      >      > As far as an off email discussion forum where business is
>      not
>      > done
>      >      but
>      >      > things are workshopped: I would think that solution to be
>      > amicable
>      >      to
>      >      > you as it greatly reduces non essential email and chatter
>      to
>      >      another
>      >      > area where those interested would be free to peruse and
>      those
>      > who
>      >      just
>      >      > want business could just pay attention to email.
>      >      >
>      >      > Bottom line: Everyone in the LNC was elected to do a job. 
> I
>      do
>      > not
>      >      > believe that we can handicap anyone's ability to do that
>      job by
>      >      > telling them they can only respond to email if it's new 
> to
>      the
>      >      > conversation, they've deliberated themselves for hours, 
> the
>      > email
>      >      > contains more than a dis/agreement statement (heck a vote
>      is
>      >      simply I
>      >      > agree or disagree with no explanation needed), etc.
>      >      >
>      >      > I appreciate your comments and respect your thought 
> process
>      but
>      > I
>      >      am
>      >      > happy to see the LNC becoming more active and encourage
>      each
>      >      member to
>      >      > serve in whatever capacity they see fit.
>      >      >
>      >      > Richard Longstreth
>      >      >
>      >      > On Sun, Aug 19, 2018, 22:57 Caryn Ann Harlos
>      >      <[4][6]caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org>
>      >      > wrote:
>      >      >
>      >      >> Chuck, you wrote an extraordinarily long email.  One 
> thing
>      to
>      >      >> clarify for those who do not know- Chuck and I are very
>      good
>      >      >> friends, and his email didn’t bother me personally in 
> the
>      least
>      >      as
>      >      >> we have built that kind of relationship.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> But in thematic overview, I emphatically disagree.  You
>      spent a
>      >      >> great deal of time trying to make things into your own
>      image.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> I will focus on one unspoken factor here: gender.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> And I know some of the other women will want to scream. 
> I
>      am
>      > NOT
>      >      >> speaking for you. But I am talking about norms here and
>      not
>      >      >> individuals.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> My communication style (and since that Google memo came
>      out
>      > which
>      >      >> caused such a hubbub this subject has been an interest 
> to
>      me,
>      >      I.e.,
>      >      >> was he right that tech companies don’t have as many 
> women
>      > because
>      >      >> they basically require women to act like men? And I
>      wondered
>      > the
>      >      >> same about politics) is very very common to women.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> I work in a female dominated industry (insurance legal
>      defense
>      >      and
>      >      >> the paralegal field is very pink collar) and this is not
>      > unusual.
>      >      >> This is how we speak.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> So Chuck while I think there was a lot of good advice 
> that
>      I
>      >      >> certainly will take for efficiency reasons, I ask you to
>      > consider
>      >      >> that you are asking me to communicate like a typical
>      corporate
>      >      male,
>      >      >> and I must decline.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> And here is the funny thing about all the gendered
>      discussion
>      >      that
>      >      >> has come up recently.  I am not even a feminist.  I 
> never
>      paid
>      >      >> attention to this stuff until it hit me in the face last
>      year
>      >      when
>      >      >> the LNC sat there and let another LNC member basically 
> say
>      to
>      > me
>      >      >> that my husband will just give me a position and
>      absolutely no
>      >      >> discussion was held about that. In fact when I tried to
>      object
>      > I
>      >      was
>      >      >> summarily shut down.  I didn’t want to escalate as a
>      Policy
>      >      Manual
>      >      >> complaint as I felt it was all unintentional but
>      unintentional
>      >      >> sexism is still sexism.   It set me down a path of
>      examining
>      >      >> inadvertent and unrecognized gender biases in our
>      > communications.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> I think the LNC and the Party have a long way to go to
>      truly
>      >      >> incorporating women into its spaces.  Most Libertarian
>      women
>      > tend
>      >      to
>      >      >> very analytical (I certainly am
>      >      >> That) with masculine communication styles.  If we are
>      going to
>      >      grow,
>      >      >> we have to break the mold and realize heart and chatter 
> is
>      >      >> important.  Back and forth is how relationships form.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> So I decline Chuck.  And the only real criticism I have 
> of
>      your
>      >      >> missive is that you could have taken your iwn
>      interpersonal
>      >      advice
>      >      >> and called me first.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> You are one of my closest LP friends.  That’s not a lot 
> to
>      ask.
>      >      >>
>      >      >> -Caryn Ann
>      >      >>
>      >      >> On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 6:39 PM Chuck Moulton
>      >      <[5][7]chuck at moulton.org>
>      >      >> wrote:
>      >      >>
>      >      >>> Libertarian National Committee members,
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I write in my personal capacity as a life member of the
>      >      >>> Libertarian
>      >      >>> Party, not representing any of the bodies I serve on.  
> I
>      >      apologize
>      >      >>> in
>      >      >>> advance for the length of this email... it has been
>      brewing
>      > for
>      >      a
>      >      >>> while.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I'm extremely concerned by the conduct of the LNC on 
> the
>      >      business
>      >      >>> email
>      >      >>> list.  I want to speak not on the substantive business
>      itself,
>      >      but
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> rather on the volume and style of email communication.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Fundamentally, I believe some LNC members misunderstand
>      the
>      >      entire
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> purpose of the business email list and are trying to
>      >      >>> re-conceptualize it
>      >      >>> into something completely different.  You are on the
>      business
>      >      list
>      >      >>> as a
>      >      >>> deliberative body to discuss the business of the party
>      and
>      > vote
>      >      on
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> motions taking action as a board.  Some of you appear 
> to
>      be
>      >      using
>      >      >>> it as
>      >      >>> a 24/7 stream-of-consciousness liberty rant.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> The volume of email on this list is NOT NORMAL.  It is
>      >      >>> emphatically
>      >      >>> ABNORMAL.  Some of you may not be aware of how crazy it
>      is
>      >      because
>      >      >>> you
>      >      >>> are new to the LNC.  I invite you to look at the volume
>      and
>      >      >>> content of
>      >      >>> email on the list from 4 or 5 years ago.  Although 1
>      person is
>      >      the
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> primary culprit of the ongoing problems -- and I'm not
>      going
>      > to
>      >      be
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> diplomatic or pull punches: that person is Caryn Ann
>      Harlos
>      > (who
>      >      I
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> supported in convention and voted for) --, I suspect 
> some
>      of
>      > the
>      >      >>> newer
>      >      >>> members are following her lead to varying degrees with
>      respect
>      >      to
>      >      >>> how
>      >      >>> they conduct themselves.  This is a BIG problem.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I completely agree with Joe Bishop-Henchmen, who 
> recently
>      sent
>      >      the
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> following 2 emails:
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>>
>      [6][8]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015056.html
>      >      >>>> Efforts to work are welcome. Sending 68 emails in four
>      days
>      >      >>> saying
>      >      >>>> the same thing over and over, rushing to immediately
>      respond
>      > to
>      >      >>>> every. single. email. as if one has a duty to rise to
>      the
>      >      >>> challenge
>      >      >>>> for truth, justice, and the American Way, is
>      > counterproductive.
>      >      >>>>
>      >      >>>> I often sleep on an email before I reply to it, if 
> it's
>      >      >>> important but
>      >      >>>> not urgent. Most people are very careful with how they
>      write
>      >      >>> emails,
>      >      >>>> with meanings that take a couple of readings. If I 
> rush
>      to
>      > get
>      >      >>> my
>      >      >>>> word in edgewise, I miss that and people notice that 
> I'm
>      not
>      >      >>> hearing
>      >      >>>> what they're trying to say.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>>
>      [7][9]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015058.html
>      >      >>>> if it's my email inbox you're cluttering up, it's not
>      merely
>      > a
>      >      >>>> personal matter. It's a basic courtesy that every
>      workplace
>      >      >>> teaches.
>      >      >>>>
>      >      >>>> We should want this list to be a place to do business,
>      not a
>      >      >>> Facebook
>      >      >>>> argument thread.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> The LNC is supposed to act as a deliberative body on 
> the
>      LNC
>      >      >>> business
>      >      >>> list.  Many of you are not being deliberative.  I think
>      many
>      > of
>      >      >>> you do
>      >      >>> not want to be deliberative.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> More than 90% of the emails sent to your list are
>      completely
>      >      >>> useless.
>      >      >>> In fact, saying 10% of the emails are useful is 
> extremely
>      >      >>> generous.  The
>      >      >>> reason this happens is some of you lack basic email
>      courtesy.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Before discussing what sorts of emails should not be
>      sent, I
>      >      think
>      >      >>> it
>      >      >>> may help to step back and consider why email courtesy 
> and
>      the
>      >      >>> style of
>      >      >>> email communication is important.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> First, it takes longer for 1 person to compose an email
>      than
>      > for
>      >      1
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> person to read that email; however, when 25 LNC members 
> +
>      >      several
>      >      >>> staff
>      >      >>> members + many other interested LP members read that
>      email,
>      > you
>      >      >>> need to
>      >      >>> multiply the individual reading time for each email by
>      the
>      >      number
>      >      >>> of
>      >      >>> people reading it.  For example, if an email takes 5
>      minutes
>      > to
>      >      >>> compose
>      >      >>> and 1 minute for each individual to read and 40 people
>      read
>      > that
>      >      >>> email,
>      >      >>> then a 5 minute investment by the sender costs 40 
> minutes
>      for
>      >      the
>      >      >>> recipients.  That may be all well and good if the 
> content
>      is
>      >      >>> useful; on
>      >      >>> the other hand, if the content is useless, then you 
> have
>      > wasted
>      >      a
>      >      >>> lot of
>      >      >>> time.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Second, when the total email volume is so high that it 
> is
>      not
>      >      >>> practical
>      >      >>> to read all the email, recipients must skip some email.
>      While
>      >      >>> trying to
>      >      >>> cut out reading the useless email, other list members 
> may
>      >      >>> inadvertently
>      >      >>> miss important email.  If the volume of email were 
> lower
>      and
>      > the
>      >      >>> signal
>      >      >>> to noise ratio were higher, then important emails would
>      not be
>      >      >>> overlooked.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> In a deliberative body, members ought to deliberate,
>      which
>      > means
>      >      >>> "engage
>      >      >>> in long and careful consideration".  Somewhere between
>      reading
>      >      >>> something
>      >      >>> and responding to it, your brain ought to be involved 
> in
>      the
>      >      >>> process.
>      >      >>> Instead of simply replying to another LNC member's
>      thoughts by
>      >      >>> robotically and immediately answering the question 
> "What
>      is my
>      >      >>> opinion
>      >      >>> on what he or she just said?", you should be giving
>      yourself
>      >      >>> several
>      >      >>> minutes (or ideally hours) to digest what was said.  
> You
>      > should
>      >      be
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> asking yourself "Would my response add anything to the
>      >      >>> discussion?",
>      >      >>> "Have I already said this before?", "Would someone
>      reading my
>      >      >>> reply
>      >      >>> learn something new?", "Does it need to be sent to the
>      whole
>      >      >>> list?",
>      >      >>> "Could I write this more succinctly?", etc.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Here are a few steps LNC members could take to use 
> basic
>      email
>      >      >>> courtesy
>      >      >>> and decrease the insane list volume:
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 1. Eliminate all emails which simply agree or disagree
>      without
>      >      >>> reasoning.  About half the emails to the list are 
> things
>      like
>      > "I
>      >      >>> agree
>      >      >>> with X." or "+1" or "so. much. this." or "me too", or 
> the
>      >      opposite
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> (disagreeing).  I believe this is the Facebook culture
>      >      permeating
>      >      >>> and
>      >      >>> infecting email lists.  You all apparently want a like
>      button.
>      >      >>> This is
>      >      >>> completely useless and wastes everyone's time.  Instead 
> I
>      > would
>      >      >>> suggest
>      >      >>> either making additional discussion points which have 
> not
>      been
>      >      >>> brought
>      >      >>> up yet, or just not emailing at all.  If one absolutely
>      must
>      >      feed
>      >      >>> ego by
>      >      >>> hacking together a like button, I would suggest just
>      replying
>      > to
>      >      >>> the
>      >      >>> sender directly rather than to the whole list.  Or you
>      could
>      >      >>> create a
>      >      >>> Twitter account that posts a link to the LNC business
>      post
>      >      >>> followed by a
>      >      >>> thumbs up emoji or a frownie face.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 2. Do not post redundant discussion -- even when it is
>      > actually
>      >      >>> germane.
>      >      >>> Some of you post identical talking points over and over
>      and
>      > over
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> again.  We get your position.  Your redundancy is not
>      winning
>      >      you
>      >      >>> any
>      >      >>> converts; it is just annoying people.  If you want to 
> add
>      to
>      > the
>      >      >>> discussion, then you should make points you have not
>      brought
>      > up
>      >      >>> before.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 3. Reply directly to people rather than to the whole
>      list.
>      >      >>> Frequently
>      >      >>> LNC members ask the LNC for help on some task and their
>      >      colleagues
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> oblige.  At least 75% of the time they could just email 
> a
>      > reply
>      >      >>> directly
>      >      >>> rather than CCing the rest of the LNC.  Whenever you 
> send
>      an
>      >      >>> email, you
>      >      >>> should be asking yourself whether it is actually useful
>      >      >>> information for
>      >      >>> everybody or just targeted at one person.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 4. Trim your emails.  Some LNC members complained in 
> the
>      past
>      >      >>> about 300
>      >      >>> links at the bottom of the email.  This only happens
>      because
>      >      most
>      >      >>> of you
>      >      >>> copy the last 50 years of discussion every single 
> email.
>      Most
>      >      of
>      >      >>> what
>      >      >>> you haphazardly quote is completely irrelevant.  In 
> more
>      than
>      >      half
>      >      >>> of
>      >      >>> the emails you send, you are only addressing a single
>      sentence
>      >      or
>      >      >>> paragraph of the last email.  Cut out the rest.  Only
>      quote
>      > what
>      >      >>> you are
>      >      >>> actually replying to.  That makes email discussion a 
> lot
>      > easier
>      >      to
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> follow -- and has the added benefit of taking less 
> space
>      and
>      >      >>> avoiding
>      >      >>> 300 links as garbage.  I would suggest emailing on 
> actual
>      >      >>> computers
>      >      >>> rather than phones, but note even phones allow quoting:
>      on an
>      >      >>> iPhone
>      >      >>> highlight 1 sentence, then click the reply button.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 5. Think before you send.  In most cases it is possible
>      (and
>      >      >>> advisable)
>      >      >>> to sit on an email for 24 hours.  If a day is too long,
>      then
>      > try
>      >      >>> waiting
>      >      >>> 4 hours.  Waiting can be calming, make your reply more
>      > logical,
>      >      >>> and help
>      >      >>> you avoid writing things which are misinterpreted.  
> I've
>      found
>      >      >>> when I
>      >      >>> sit on an email for 24 hours, 75% of the time I decide
>      not to
>      >      send
>      >      >>> it.
>      >      >>> The other 25% of the time, I make several edits which 
> fix
>      >      spelling
>      >      >>> or
>      >      >>> grammar errors, make my point clearer, tone it down, or
>      avoid
>      >      >>> misinterpretation.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 6. Consolidate emails.  When I am following an email
>      > discussion,
>      >      >>> sometimes I see 4 different points by 4 different 
> people
>      on
>      > the
>      >      >>> same
>      >      >>> topic which I want to address.  Instead of sending 4
>      emails, I
>      >      >>> send one
>      >      >>> email which quotes each of them and replies
>      appropriately.
>      > This
>      >      >>> saves
>      >      >>> on email volume and also helps you compose your 
> thoughts
>      > better
>      >      >>> and be
>      >      >>> less redundant.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 7. Change the subject line when the thread shifts 
> focus.
>      This
>      >      can
>      >      >>> make
>      >      >>> the discussion easier to follow rather than having to
>      sift
>      >      through
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> emails with completely unrelated subjects.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 8. Check your spelling, grammar, and usage.  I cringe
>      every
>      > time
>      >      I
>      >      >>> read
>      >      >>> emails misusing "its" and "it's", "your" and "you're",
>      etc.
>      > We
>      >      >>> are the
>      >      >>> third largest political party in the United States...
>      when our
>      >      >>> national
>      >      >>> committee writes unprofessionally it reflects poorly on
>      the
>      >      >>> organization.  (Many people use bad spelling, grammar,
>      and
>      > usage
>      >      >>> as a
>      >      >>> proxy to infer stupidity or poor education.)  This is
>      > especially
>      >      >>> important with respect to language on which you vote.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 9. If you are feeling hotheaded or think something you
>      are
>      >      saying
>      >      >>> may be
>      >      >>> misinterpreted, then get a second opinion before 
> sending
>      it.
>      >      Ask
>      >      >>> your
>      >      >>> spouse or friend to read over your email.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 10. Respect the opinions of others.  It is incredibly
>      rude to
>      >      >>> browbeat a
>      >      >>> colleague because you don't like his or her vote.  The
>      vote
>      >      speaks
>      >      >>> for
>      >      >>> itself.  Allow others to disagree in peace.  If you
>      actually
>      >      >>> believe you
>      >      >>> can change someone's mind, it would be more respectful 
> to
>      pick
>      >      up
>      >      >>> the
>      >      >>> phone and call your colleague to have a real discussion
>      (i.e.,
>      >      >>> actively
>      >      >>> listen seeing where he is coming from and how you can
>      change
>      > his
>      >      >>> mind,
>      >      >>> instead of just talking at him) rather than publicly
>      > lambasting
>      >      >>> him for
>      >      >>> the vote.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 11. You do not need to reply to everything.  Don't 
> worry:
>      we
>      >      >>> probably
>      >      >>> already know your opinion without you replying anyway.
>      > Failing
>      >      to
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> respond to an email does not mean you concede a debate
>      point.
>      >      >>> Also,
>      >      >>> your audience will not assume you are sleeping at the
>      wheel.
>      > If
>      >      >>> just
>      >      >>> two people on a list believe they must respond to every
>      email,
>      >      >>> then that
>      >      >>> by definition will create an infinite number of emails.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 12. Concision is better than verbosity.  Sometimes it
>      takes
>      >      longer
>      >      >>> to
>      >      >>> write a short message than a long message; however, 
> your
>      >      >>> colleagues will
>      >      >>> appreciate the former.  As FDR once said: "Be sincere, 
> be
>      > brief,
>      >      >>> be seated."
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 13. Remember the audience and the purpose of the list.
>      If you
>      >      >>> wouldn't
>      >      >>> say something in a LNC meeting, you probably shouldn't
>      say it
>      > on
>      >      >>> the LNC
>      >      >>> business list.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I believe if all LNC members mostly followed those bits
>      of
>      > basic
>      >      >>> email
>      >      >>> courtesy, the volume of the list would be dramatically
>      reduced
>      >      >>> without
>      >      >>> sacrificing any of the actual discussion.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I see the LNC is now discussing moving discussion to
>      phpBB.
>      >      That
>      >      >>> is a
>      >      >>> TERRIBLE idea.  The only reason this list is
>      dysfunctional in
>      >      the
>      >      >>> first
>      >      >>> place is several members -- particularly Caryn Ann 
> Harlos
>      --
>      > are
>      >      >>> not
>      >      >>> following basic email courtesy.  Moving all or part of
>      the
>      >      >>> discussion to
>      >      >>> another forum would just make that discussion even 
> harder
>      to
>      >      >>> follow.
>      >      >>> Additionally, it would further exacerbate the volume
>      problem.
>      >      The
>      >      >>> very
>      >      >>> people causing the problem in the first place are those
>      who
>      > want
>      >      >>> to move
>      >      >>> to a different venue.  They want to do this because 
> other
>      > media
>      >      >>> are more
>      >      >>> conducive to what they actually want: a 24/7
>      >      >>> stream-of-consciousness
>      >      >>> liberty rant.  Email is more deliberative than phpBB.
>      phpBB
>      > is
>      >      >>> more
>      >      >>> deliberative than Slack.  Slack is more deliberative 
> than
>      >      >>> Facebook.
>      >      >>> Facebook is more deliberative than texting.  The LNC
>      should be
>      > a
>      >      >>> deliberative group.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> If some members of the LNC are unable to act with a
>      modicum of
>      >      >>> courtesy,
>      >      >>> there is a less restrictive alternative than moving the
>      >      >>> substantive
>      >      >>> discussion to a medium less suited to that purpose.
>      Instead
>      > the
>      >      >>> LNC
>      >      >>> could create a second list called (for example)
>      > "useless-drivel"
>      >      >>> and LNC
>      >      >>> members could send their extra messages to that list.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> I have seen some LNC members defend the practice of
>      subjecting
>      >      >>> others to
>      >      >>> their pollution.  Recently, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>>
>      [8][10]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015057.html
>      >      >>>> Not everyone communicates the same way Joe, and we all
>      have
>      > to
>      >      >>> be
>      >      >>>> tolerant of that.
>      >      >>>>
>      >      >>>> [...]
>      >      >>>>
>      >      >>>> Your way is not my way. My way is not your way. And
>      that’s
>      >      >>> okay.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>>
>      [9][11]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015066.html
>      >      >>>> Joe with all due respect you signed up to part of a
>      group of
>      >      >>> diverse
>      >      >>>> people, not to dictate to them that they must conform 
> to
>      your
>      >      >>>> communication style. I have to tell you that I have 
> zero
>      >      >>> intention of
>      >      >>>> changing my practice
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>>
>      [10][12]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015067.html
>      >      >>>> PS: I counted them. It wasn't 68. It was in the 40s
>      because I
>      >      >>>> interact with each person's comments. Do people post 
> to
>      the
>      >      list
>      >      >>> not
>      >      >>>> to get a response?? I am sorry, but it is NOT
>      unreasonable to
>      >      >>> have
>      >      >>>> that many emails when someone is very very active in a
>      group
>      > of
>      >      >>> 17
>      >      >>>> people. [...] And like it or not, dealing with this
>      email
>      > list
>      >      >>> is
>      >      >>>> part of the job. If we met more often, there would be
>      less
>      >      >>> emails. As
>      >      >>>> I say periodically, the fact that we do not meet 
> monthly
>      is
>      >      >>>> ridiculous to me.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> First, she says she must "interact with each person's
>      > comments",
>      >      >>> which
>      >      >>> is ridiculous.  This is the Facebook culture of reply 
> to
>      >      >>> everything or
>      >      >>> you concede the debate.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Second, she says dealing with this email list is part 
> of
>      the
>      >      job.
>      >      >>> The
>      >      >>> right to talk does not imply a right to be heard.  Time
>      is a
>      >      >>> scarce
>      >      >>> commodity and everyone sensibly makes efficient use of
>      his or
>      > or
>      >      >>> time
>      >      >>> through filtering.  Chair Sarwark, regional
>      representative
>      > Lark,
>      >      >>> and
>      >      >>> at-large member Bishop-Henchman do not write the 
> business
>      list
>      >      >>> often,
>      >      >>> but when they do their emails are well-reasoned and
>      people
>      > read
>      >      >>> them.
>      >      >>> In contrast, some LNC members have suggested that Ms.
>      Harlos's
>      >      >>> messages
>      >      >>> go directly into the trash or their spam folder.  If I
>      were on
>      >      the
>      >      >>> LNC,
>      >      >>> I would strongly consider setting up such an email
>      filter.  If
>      >      the
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> audience isn't listening, that's the fault of the
>      speaker, not
>      >      the
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> audience.  Be more judicious with your emails and 
> people
>      will
>      >      not
>      >      >>> skip
>      >      >>> or skim them.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Third, not all communication styles are okay.  A bulk
>      email
>      >      >>> marketer
>      >      >>> could say spamming people with unsolicited email is his
>      >      >>> communication
>      >      >>> style.  Someone else could say profanity laden rants 
> are
>      his
>      >      >>> communication style.  Neither would be acceptable in
>      ordinary
>      >      >>> society or
>      >      >>> in the workplace.  When you send emails to a list read 
> by
>      > 30-40
>      >      >>> people,
>      >      >>> your communication style imposes costs on others.
>      Ignoring
>      >      those
>      >      >>> costs
>      >      >>> displays a lack of empathy (bordering on autism).  When
>      > someone
>      >      >>> sends
>      >      >>> hundreds of useless emails wasting colleagues' time, it
>      would
>      > be
>      >      >>> charitable to call such behavior rude; I would call it
>      > abusive.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> This is going to be a long and frustrating LNC term if
>      some of
>      >      you
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> continue disrespecting your colleagues.  It doesn't 
> have
>      to be
>      >      >>> that way.
>      >      >>> The LNC can be (and has been) collegial.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> With all that said, I advocate the following actions:
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 1. I ask the LNC not to move substantive discussion to 
> a
>      >      different
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> communication medium than the LNC business email list.
>      As an
>      >      >>> interested
>      >      >>> LP member, I would like to continue to follow such
>      discussion.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 2. I implore LNC members to individually consider the
>      costs
>      >      their
>      >      >>> communication styles impose on others, and to
>      individually
>      > make
>      >      an
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> effort to be more respectful to their LNC colleagues 
> (and
>      to
>      >      >>> interested
>      >      >>> observers) by following basic email courtesy.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> 3. If the list volume continues to be insane, I request
>      that
>      > the
>      >      >>> LNC
>      >      >>> formally adopt the Bishop-Henchman "$1 per email after 
> 5
>      > emails
>      >      a
>      >      >>> day"
>      >      >>> rule in the LNC Policy Manual at the upcoming in-person
>      LNC
>      >      >>> meeting.  (I
>      >      >>> do not comment on whether this would be allowed under 
> the
>      > bylaws
>      >      >>> and
>      >      >>> rules, and I would gladly recuse myself if it were
>      appealed; I
>      >      >>> simply am
>      >      >>> declaring I think it would be a good idea.)  At least 
> if
>      rude
>      >      LNC
>      >      >>> members waste many hours of your (really, our) time, 
> the
>      LP
>      >      ought
>      >      >>> to get
>      >      >>> some money out of it to build the party.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Thank you very much for your time.
>      >      >>>
>      >      >>> Chuck Moulton
>      >      >>> Life Member and Monthly Pledger, Libertarian Party
>      >      >> --
>      >      >>
>      >      >> --
>      >      >>
>      >      >> IN LIBERTY,
>      >      >> CARYN ANN HARLOS
>      >      >> Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee
>      Secretary
>      > -
>      >      >> Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>      >      >> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee -
>      LPedia at LP.org
>      >      >>
>      >      >> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>      >      >> _We defend your rights_
>      >      >> _And oppose the use of force_
>      >      >> _Taxation is theft_
>      >      >  --
>      >      >
>      >      > Richard Longstreth
>      >      > Region 1 Representative (AK, AZ, CO, KS, MT, NM, OR, HI,
>      UT, WA,
>      >      WY)
>      >      > Libertarian National Committee
>      >      > [11][13]richard.longstreth at lp.org
>      >      > 931.538.9300
>      >
>      >    --
>      >
>      >    --
>      >    In Liberty,
>      >    Caryn Ann Harlos
>      >    Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee 
> Secretary
>      >    - [12]Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>      >    Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
>      >    A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>      >    We defend your rights
>      >    And oppose the use of force
>      >    Taxation is theft
>      >
>      > References
>      >
>      >    1. mailto:[14]lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>      >    2. mailto:[15]joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
>      >    3. [16]http://www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837
>      >    4. mailto:[17]caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org
>      >    5. mailto:[18]chuck at moulton.org
>      >    6. 
> [19]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015056.html
>      >    7. 
> [20]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015058.html
>      >    8. 
> [21]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015057.html
>      >    9. 
> [22]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015066.html
>      >   10. 
> [23]http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015067.html
>      >   11. mailto:[24]richard.longstreth at lp.org
>      >   12. mailto:[25]Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org
> 
>    --
> 
>    --
>    In Liberty,
>    Caryn Ann Harlos
>    Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee Secretary
>    - [26]Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>    Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
>    A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>    We defend your rights
>    And oppose the use of force
>    Taxation is theft
> 
> References
> 
>    1. mailto:steven.nekhaila at lp.org
>    2. http://libertarianchat.com/
>    3. mailto:lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>    4. mailto:joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
>    5. http://www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837
>    6. mailto:caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org
>    7. mailto:chuck at moulton.org
>    8. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015056.html
>    9. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015058.html
>   10. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015057.html
>   11. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015066.html
>   12. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015067.html
>   13. mailto:richard.longstreth at lp.org
>   14. mailto:lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>   15. mailto:joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
>   16. http://www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837
>   17. mailto:caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org
>   18. mailto:chuck at moulton.org
>   19. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015056.html
>   20. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015058.html
>   21. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015057.html
>   22. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015066.html
>   23. http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/2018/015067.html
>   24. mailto:richard.longstreth at lp.org
>   25. mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org
>   26. mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org





More information about the Lnc-business mailing list