Personal ads in soc.culture
Javier Calderon (CALDERON@macc.wisc.edu)
Fri, 10 Feb 1995 14:29:29 -0600
Those of you who read news.groups are aware that a vote is taking place
on a proposal to establish a group called soc.culture.jewish.singles.
This group is to be used primarily for the posting of personal ads.
Soc.culture.* is a fundamentally inappropriate place to post personal
ads. For that reason, I recommend casting a "no" vote.
This proposal, if passed, sets a bad precedent for the
soc.culture.* hierarchy. If other national groups follow suit and
establish their own personals groups in soc.culture.*, this group has the
potential to change the fundamental nature of the soc.culture.* hierarchy.
I am posting this message to several of the most popular soc.culture.*
groups to let them know of this potential change in character of the
hierarchy. This proposal affects everyone on soc.culture.*, and not
just readers of soc.culture.jewish.
Soc.culture.* was never meant as a forum for the posting of personal
ads. Indeed, the popular alt.personals.* hierarchy exists for precisely
that purpose. Realistically, it is difficult to argue that personal ads
constitute a meaningful form of cultural discussion.
The formation of numerous soc.culture.*.singles groups has the
potential to crowd cultural discussion out of the soc.culture.*
hierarchy. This would be a shame.
I want to emphasize that I am *not* against the creation of a Jewish
singles group. I merely oppose the misplacement of a personal ads group in
the soc.culture.* hierarchy. Indeed, I would welcome this group in
soc.singles.*, alt.personals.*, or elsewhere on Usenet.
The creation of this group, however, is not a fait accompli. A better
proposal can still be adopted.
The Call for Votes (CFV) for soc.culture.jewish.singles is currently
underway. If you are concerned about the proliferation of personal ads in
the soc.culture.* hierarchy, please vote against this group. To do so,
send an e-mail message to voting@qualcomm.com, with the message "I vote
NO on soc.culture.jewish.singles" in the body.
Again, that's
X-To: voting@qualcomm.com
Message: I vote NO on soc.culture.jewish.singles
[If you are unconvinced by my arguments, substitute the word "ABSTAIN"
or "YES" in the above statement.]
A few more points in closing:
It would seem to me that newbies on Usenet would not
instinctively look to the soc.culture.* hierarchy for personal ads. A
personal ads group will only be effective to the extent that it enjoys a
large pool of readers. The more people who read the group, the better a
response each personal ad will bring. For this reason, it is in the
interest of those who want a Jewish personals group to avoid placing that
group in soc.culture.*
The group's proponent has argued that the singles group is appropriate
for the soc.culture.* hierarchy because discussion of intermarriage issues
will also take place there. This argument is incorrect.
A group with the name "singles" will inevitably attract personal ads in
sufficient quantity to drown out other discussion. Intermarriage issues
will occupy a decidedly minor place in soc.culture.jewish.singles.
Moreover, many people who have posted to soc.culture.jewish in support of
this group have done so for the expressed purpose of finding a Jewish
boyfriend, girlfriend, or significant other. One poster even concluded
his statement of support with an appeal for any 18-25 year old Jewish
women in New York to contact him via e-mail. That clearly constitutes a
personals ad, IMHO.
Lastly, if -- as the proponent wrongly claims -- intermarriage issues will
predominate on soc.culture.jewish.singles, the group is still misnamed.
In that case, the name should be soc.culture.jewish.intermarriage, or
something along those lines.
Again, I want to emphasize that it is entirely legitimate to discuss
intermarriage issues on soc.culture.*. That is especially so in Jewish
culture, which is rightly concerned over intermarriage issues. But this
group will clearly act principally as a forum for personal ads. That is
inappropriate for the soc.culture.* hierarchy.
If the CFV fails, I have offered to help the proponent find a more
appropriate location for a Jewish singles group on Usenet. Let me
reiterate that I am not against the concept of a Jewish personals group,
but merely against its location in soc.culture.*.
Once soc.culture.jewish.singles is passed, I fear that many other
national groups will jump on the bandwagon and establish singles groups.
This will effectively spell an end to the soc.culture.* hierarchy, as
personal ads will crowd out legitimate cultural discussion.
I therefore believe this CFV is of interest to all readers of
soc.culture.*, and not just to soc.culture.jewish.singles. For that
reason, I urge a vote against the group. For more information, please
read news.groups, where this debate is taking place in entirety.
Followups are set to news.groups.
Again, to vote against the group, send e-mail voting@qualcomm.com with
message "I vote NO on soc.culture.jewish.singles" in the body. (If, on
the other hand, you support the group, substitute the word "ABSTAIN" or
"YES" for "NO" in the above line.)
--
////// // // ////// // ////// Christopher B. Stone
// ////// ///// // ///
// // // // // // /// "Consensus is the negation
////// // // // // // ////// of leadership." -Margaret Thatcher