RE: [Paddlewise] the "back-channel"

At 03:12 PM 4/18/00 -0800, Seng, Dave wrote:
>
>  Why all the talk "under the covers"?  I sometimes post directly in
>response to a question, but that's invariably because I goofed up and forgot
>to reply to the list.  Hey - if you have something to share why not share it
>with the whole group - if it's worth writing you might as well share it with
>the whole group - you might be surprised at what someone else might learn
>from your posting - even if you think it's fairly unimportant and innocuous.

There are times that back channel messages are appropriate. For example,
I've been discussing the possibility of a purchase of a new boat with
another Paddlewiser, who happens to be a dealer. Some of it is
purchase-specific, although the discussion grew out of a post I originally
made for all -- but Jackie would have red-flagged the discussion for
commericalism a long time ago, too. Besides, it's verging on nobody's
business but ours, anyway.

I will admit, sometimes back channel messages are screwups, though. I
inadvertently sent Ralph a back channel earlier today on the "gun" thread,
an off-the-wall reply to his off-the-wall post. When it didn't show up
later, I realized I'd hit "Reply" instead of "Reply to All". As it turned
out, it wasn't very constructive, and other people said the same thing in a
better way, so it's just as well it wasn't sent to everyone.

We manage to keep this place pretty personable, partly because we realize
that there are times that one-on-one is appropriate, or that some
discussions just don't need to involve everybody -- they just cause
clutter. But yes, there are times that it would be interesting to everybody
if some of the back channel stuff was out in the open. But it's still
sender's choice, after all -- with the caveat that replying in the open
forum to a private message is considered bad form.

-- Wes

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************