[at-l] at-l - the future

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

Thomas McGinnis wrote:
> 
>      Wow! Dividing into camps already!
>      Do we really need to import attitude?
>      I surely do hope not.
> 
>      My "vote", Ryan, as if any of us actually do, is that we don't mess
>      with the wonderful campfire which the at-l is.
>      My "guess" is that all those Holiday messages stating posters'
>      appreciation for what the at-l is, AS IT IS, spoke for a silent but
>      large majority.
> 
>      Sorry so short. Hope this makes sense.
> 
> ______________________________ Reply Separator 

Ryan - 
I've gotta echo Tom's message - there's enough "serious" stuff here to
make it a good list - and enough "fun" stuff to make it a better list. 
I said one time that there was "nothing" that wasn't trail-related
because the Trail itself is about life.  I still feel that way. the list
is what it is because of the input, both serious and otherwise, over the
last year.  As I recall, at-l was close to defunct (in terms of volume)
at this time last year and was revived when some of us were banned from
atml.  That was good - for us, for at-l and for the hiking community. I
wouldn't want to see us throw away what we've built here over the last
year in an effort to recreate Trailplace.  What have we built?  A place
where the participants are friends - where there are few, if any
subjects that are taboo, where we've managed to handle our own problems
without excessive rules or restrictions, where the discussions may get
hot but without flames - and a place where the information that people
really need is available for the asking and on a personal basis - but
not necessarily as a "school" or a "book".  I've put out most of the
Thruhiking planning series, although that's not quite finished yet.  And
Ron Moak has done his Thruhiking Memories series - if we hang in there,
there may be others who will follow suit and share their knowledge and
memories.  And I think that's probably as serious as the list needs to
be.  Part of the problem on Trailplace was that it got too serious - and
that's not what the Trail is.  Nor is it what the at-l "audience" is.  

I think the addition of the journals is great - I'd like to see it
continue.  We won't be posting our journals from the CDT - it's
tempting, but I know very well how busy we'll be just trying to do what
we have to do - and there won't be time to think about what we should or
should not publish.  So it'll have to wait until we get back.  I'd like
to be able to come back to the campfire.  

Walk softly,
Jim
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