[csaa-forum] Re: tone of public discourse

[Melissa Gregg]

Dear Jonathan,

As the administrator of this email list (which is not a newsgroup, but 
a public email list with voluntary subscription) I'd like to clarify 
that posts are not subject to adjudication according to standards of 
rational or scholarly debate, even though a large number of members are 
practicing academics, and even though I have myself wished some longer 
debates had continued off list in the past because of their 
questionable relevance to all subscribers. But that's the risk of a 
forum I guess. Those who speak loudest are often those that are heard. 
Given there are 465 subscribers on this list, I doubt that we could 
possibly exercise much *more* restraint in what is discussed. And I'm 
hardly going to shut down those people who have been committed to the 
aims of this list from the very beginning, aims which are available for 
your and others' benefit at the address appended to the footer of every 
message posted here. (Instructions for unsubscribing can also be found 
at the same address)

On my reading, Danny's post was clearly responding to Brett's generous 
distribution of a lengthy statement from Toni Negri that will never 
reach the mainstream press in this country. In my view, that alone is a 
good enough purpose for this forum, and I thank Danny and Brett for 
their ongoing contribution to it.

Best wishes,
>
Melissa Gregg
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
4th Floor, Forgan Smith Tower
University of Queensland 4072
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