XPost: alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox, alt.books.beatgeneration,   
   alt.usage.english   
   XPost: soc.culture.south-africa, rec.arts.books, misc.education   
   XPost: sci.anthropology   
   From: zaphenath@NOmiraiSPAM.cx   
      
   Peter H.M. Brooks wrote:   
   > "Don Tuite"  wrote in message   
   > news:2nfkovgqsnjci6nqou32obvs0ojplfi7id@4ax.com...   
   >   
   >>On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 04:50:51 GMT, hayesstw.spamless@yahoo.com (Steve   
   >>Hayes) wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a marked deterioration in the   
   >>>quality of postings on Usenet in the last few weeks?   
   >>   
   >>In the Northern Hemisphere, the new school year has just started.   
   >>   
   >   
   > That is a good point! I think that there is an annual fluctuation in quality   
   > in the last six months of the year. In August/September, all Europe is on   
   > holiday so the volume of new and interesting posts goes down. Then, as you   
   > say, in October the new year starts so the volume of rubbish increases   
   > sharply. Fortunately the attention span of the adolescent is fairly short,   
   > so, by late November or early December, things have settled down and   
   > interesting discussions return.   
   >   
   >   
   You might also consider that the more thoughtful and mindful among the   
   general population of students have far less time on their hands for   
   lengthy discussion once the school year starts.  I am confined to these   
   little posts while procrastinating from my real work.   
      
   I have (had) several interesting discussions in a.r.c.e-o and on   
   Livejournal that I have abandoned as a consequence of the constraints on   
   my time.  Now, I only post bits here and there when someone says   
   something to which I can respond quickly, and/or makes me mad enough to   
   waste my time.   
      
   If you look at the most prolific posters of off-topic and inflammatory   
   material in a.r.c.e-o, they are not generally "adolescents".  There are   
   three "mature" posters there who contribute almost all of it.  They are   
   from different political and theological perspectives, though.   
      
   It is not my intention to denigrate the offerings of the more mature   
   contributers, but simply to suggest that there are spammers and kooks   
   across the generational divides.  The situation can not reasonably be   
   said (at least in a.r.c.e-o) to be simply the result of some increase in   
   participation of young people.  Though I will admit that really decent   
   conversations with my "peers" are precious and far between.   
      
   But there are those of us in the "under 30" crowd who delight in books,   
   conversation, and meaningful interpersonal interaction -- and who   
   likewise eschew the short-attention-span-oriented media garbage pouring   
   out of televisions and radios, and plastered all over billboards.   
      
   Although I am rather rapidly approaching the "30-and-over" crowd...   
      
   - Joseph   
      
   --   
   "One should guard against preaching to young people success   
   in the customary form as the main aim in life.  The most   
   important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure   
   in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the   
   value of the result to the rest of the community."   
           -- Albert Einstein   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)