[C320-list] If you don't like Adam's chit chat delete this

[Adam Weiner]

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that most of the
people being upset about chit chat on the list are directed primarily at
three people, of which I am no doubt the ring leader.

When I was at the regatta one of the other three mentioned to me that
there was a thread going on while I was out of computer touch about how
chit chat shouldn't be allowed on the list and that there was a lot of
hostile writing back and forth on the issue.  While getting ready for
bed that night I wrote an e-mail in my mind talking about things like
sailors returning from the end of a beer can race talked with their
friends not about starting batteries but about the good times they had
and their race strategies.  I had something in mind about everyone in
the sailing community following the around the world exploits of Ellen
Macarthur because they were interested in her and what she was doing,
not in how she could repair things (although she put our mast head work
to shame.)  I was going to write about how the sailing world mourned the
untimely death of Peter Blake because of his accomplishments as a
sailor, a person, and a gentlemen and not because he knew how to rig a
starting battery or remove a compass. I was going to challenge the
people who filter me out to go man to man on log books with me for
mileage and days sailed. It was going to be one of the best essays I
ever wrote.  

But, then something funny happened.  Gerry Douglas, the lead designer of
the C320, was the feature speaker at the Regatta's dinner.  Due to some
earlier things in the dinner, the dinner was behind schedule and Gerry's
talk was cut drastically.  Now, here I am, the least of the
repair/maintenance/improvement people on this e-mail list listening to
the most knowledgeable person about our boats and I went ballistic that
he was delayed in being to speak and more so at being cut off.  What was
more amazing was that I, the chit chat captain, seemed to be the only
one upset about this.  Everyone else took it in stride.

What a quagmire to be in--me upset that Gerry Douglas was cut short so
we could chit chat.

Well, after all is said and done, here is what I think we should do:  On
the re line of the e-mail just write CHIT CHAT and BE SURE TO CHANGE THE
MESSAGE LINE WHEN YOU ARE DEVIATING FROM THE THREAD that already exists.
For the people with filters they can set there computers to not only
filter out me, but filter out anything that says chit chat.

Adam