>I've been subscribed to another private list for approximately four years. Most people that participate are there for technical reasons.
>
>A couple years ago a couple people started posting numerous off topic (nontechnical) messages and others started requesting that off topic messages go "private" instead of to the general list. This started a small war and the list owners had to step in...

Hi Dale - I am also in several other forums on different topics, some paid, some free. All are controled more rigidly than the UT, which is somewhere in the middle, I think. I say this after seeing some of the free-for-all video-game forums, where if you're not flaming, you're not welcome, as paradoxical as that may sound :)

OTOH, the rigid ones are often too restrictive, one fairly technical forum in particular had sysops often just closing off threads or censoring posts they felt were "not productive" (official reason) as innocent as they usually were (mainly just members with different opinions civilly rehashing technical arguments that had already been made). This in turn started new threads on censoring, which were even less-productive, and which were censored or closed, and so on and on, until the forum had the feel of a sterile clinic, and you had to choose your words carefully - and the camaraderie was really getting lost...finally, they have loosened up, and things are going more smoothly.

So, I generally feel that the UT is going about things in a good way, most of these flare-ups of passion burn themselves out naturally, and as long as no flaming is involved, I think that's the best policy. Hopefully, those members who are threatening to leave will rethink it and stay - it's never good to make hasty decisions when emotions are running high (unless under physical threat, maybe :)

Anyway, I see Michel has put a nice new login-page notice about new bandwidth, new PUTM features, membership status, etc. Perhaps this will help to calm things down...

New Chatter Forum idea might not be bad - anytime members started getting off topic or highly-passionate over a technical matter, someone could suggest, "take it to Chatter," sort of like individuals in a bar "taking it outside" :)