[apsa_itp] listserve

[steffen schmidt <sws@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: listserve

> I am an open source supporter and the
> Internet should be as available as we can make it.!

> Dear colleagues,
> I for one would be happy if the list remained open. 
>
> I am a PhD Candidate at Stanford University with a dissertation that
> cuts across organization science, social psychology, political science
> and computer science.  But if I had to join all the different
> professional groups as a student, I would go broke. 
>
> I am not sure how many others are in my position, but I do hope you
> keep it open.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Yosem
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 5:04 PM, David
> Bray <David_Bray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> > Not to get into too
> > large of an online debate, but historically this listserv was not used
> > for the purposes of voting -- but instead for occasional updates and
> > impromptu chats about issues. While there now seems to be the
> > suggested need for a "members-only" listserv for voting,
> > this would seem to suggest re-appropriation (without group discussion)
> > of the original purpose of this listserv, which was for open group
> > discussion, and thus rub against its historical purpose. I personally
> > suggest if there is a *new* need for online voting amongst ITP section
> > members, maybe the most expeditious route would be a new listserv for
> > this new need?
> >
> > ... moreover, since we
> > are academics, empirical research has shown "walled gardens"
> > don't really do much to promote requisite diversity needed for a
> > healthy online discussion of issues (though perhaps MIS and business
> > journals are ahead of the research curve here). Wikipedia would
> > probably have failed if they had adopted a paying members-only policy
> > (though there is value in having *free* membership, however I
> > recognize APSA may not be as bold to embrace this yet), as would have
> > YouTube!, Social Science Research Network (www.ssrn.com), Sermo.com, Threadless.com, or numerous other
> > successful examples in the Internet space.
> >
> > I do not think
> > maintaining a listserv for open discussion constitutes a huge resource
> > expenditure (and the folks at the Harvard-MIT Data Center seem to
> > encourage open registration)...
> >
> > ... and if there's
> > current criticism of China for its attempt to control access
> > associated with the Internet http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/29/news/OLY-China-Internet-Blocked.php
> >
> > ... and if the trends
> > are towards more use of open-software and open access standards, as
> > well as "Free!" is the (predicted) future of business
> > http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
> >
> > ... might I suggest
> > that the long-existing ITP listserv *not* head in the opposite
> > direction? In the end, encouraging a diversity of participants with a
> > multitude of backgrounds (even if some are tagging along or just in
> > the background listening for free) might just improve the ITP
> > section's research focus, benefiting ITP all for the inexpensive cost
> > of an open listserv.
> >
> > <\twocents>
> >
> > Renee Marlin-Bennett
> > <marlin@xxxxxxx>,Internet on Monday, August 04, 2008 at 7:34 PM
> > -0500 wrote:
> > I have already
> > reversed this.  It was my (mistaken) understanding
> > that
> > the APSA-ITP listserv
> > was a listserv for the section.  People with
> > more
> > institutional memory
> > than I have have explained the listserv's history
> > as an open forum.
> >  All people who were removed have been put back on
> > the
> > list
> > already.
> >
> > I'll bring this up at
> > the business meeting:  Is the listserv for
> > the
> > section, or is it for
> > the broader community of people with an interest
> > in ITP, or (my
> > preference) should we have two listservs, one for
> > the
> > section?
> >
> > It's my understanding
> > that most APSA section listservs are for members
> > of the section only,
> > but we should let the membership decide.
> >
> > Renee
> > Marlin-Bennett
> > Section
> > Chair
> >
> > Michael Gizzi
> > wrote:
> > > Thats fine, but
> > it seems like a dumb way to market the section, by
> > > removing people
> > who may be interested in the subject matter....
> > >
> > > On Mon, Aug 4,
> > 2008 at 11:21 AM, Renee Marlin-Bennett <marlin@xxxxxxx
> > > <mailto:marlin@xxxxxxx>> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> >     Hello, colleagues,
> > >
> >     As I promised (or warned), I am in the process
> > of unsubscribing
> > >
> >     people who are not members of the APSA-ITP
> > section from this
> > >
> >     listserv.  This is a long process because
> > more than half of the
> > >
> >     people on the listserv are not members of the
> > section -- and most
> > >
> >     section members are not members of the
> > listserv!
> > >
> > >
> >     I am going through the list as it is
> > alphabetized on the listserv
> > >
> >     management page: by first name (or title, if
> > you are listed as
> > >
> >     "Dr. So and So.").  I have made
> > it through the Frederics.  I
> > >
> >     initially deleted 78 e-mail addresses.
> >  However, today I received
> > >
> >     an updated and corrected list from APSA, and I
> > resubscribed 27
> > >
> >     people.  (I apologize for that snafu!)
> >  I send an e-mail to each
> > >
> >     person who has been unsubscribed because of
> > non-membership, and
> > >
> >     you certainly have the opportunity to let me
> > know that I
> > >
> >     unsubscribed you in error.
> > >
> > >
> >     So far, I have looked at 96 subscriptions and
> > have found that 51
> > >
> >     of those are non-members.  Since I
> > anticipate needing to hold
> > >
> >     e-votes on section business in the future, we
> > need to have a
> > >
> >     listserv that represents the
> > membership.
> > >
> > >
> >     Best,
> > >
> >     Renee
> > >
> > >
> >     --
> > >
> >     apsa_itp mailing list served by Harvard-MIT
> > Data Center
> > >
> >     List Address: apsa_itp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >
> >     <mailto:apsa_itp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > >
> >     Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.hmdc.harvard.edu/?info=apsa_itp
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > apsa_itp mailing list
> > served by Harvard-MIT Data Center
> > List Address: apsa_itp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.hmdc.harvard.edu/?info=apsa_itp

-- 

Steffen Schmidt, Ph.D.
University Professor of Political Science
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
515 294 3825

sws@xxxxxxxxxxx

Associate, Nova Oceanographic Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL   sschmidt@xxxxxxxx

Associate, U of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Center for Latin American Studies

----------------------------------------------------------------------------