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Re: Math Forum and the math-teach discussion
Posted:
Jul 21, 2007 3:21 PM
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Michael Paul Goldenberg wrote:
> My feeling has long been that it would be good to have a list called
> "math-teach" focused squarely on what the name implies: teaching
> mathematics. Posts not related to the teaching of mathematics could be
> placed on a parallel list. Victor Steinbok started such a list years
> ago, called "math-polemic" or something similar. But it didn't draw
> much action and most certainly didn't keep polemics off of THIS list,
> which I'm pretty sure was the purpose.
>
> Since it's clear that the Math Forum neither has the resources nor the
> desire to police this list, there are only a few reasonable options:
>
> 1) the status quo - those who find the heat on math-teach excessive
> should get out of the kitchen. As Kirby pointed out, there are many
> other fine lists people may join that are different in a host of ways
> from this one.
>
> 2) Richard's suggestion of two lists as noted above. Clearly,
> voluntary agreement to keep polemics off the teaching list and vice
> versa, with gentle reminders from members to violators, be the
> violations intentional or accidental, would be the way to go. But for
> it to work, based on history, Math Forum has to be willing to look at
> legitimate complaints about repeat violators and deal with them.
> Otherwise, this becomes a complete was of time.
>
> 3) Someone has to volunteer to become the list moderator. A revision
> or restatement of the purposes and foci of the list, appropriate
> policies for posting, etc., and the moderator must have the option of
> suspending and banning violators. Obviously, this makes the list slow,
> and unless the moderator is well-chosen, acts wisely (and has a hell
> of a lot of spare time and patience), this is a potentially
> list-destroying or crippling option.
4) The Mathforum acts under the authority of the existing rules of the
Mathforum and Drexel and block those who persist in abusing this list
with ad hominems, foul language, false accusations and other mendacities.
I vote for 4).
-Greg
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