Amazed and Confused

I run several bead lists. One to learn about beading, one to announce changes to my site, another for more advanced beaders among them.

For the learning list to be productive, most of the members need to participate. They are either there to learn or help others learn. This isn't a list to talk about your personal things - it's a bead list to learn beading on. It has to be give and take. In regard to my time that I use to keep the list going, I want it to be successful. I want people to share beading information. Share info on a new book. Share the new project you just made.

I went to the archives this morning and I looked at how excited we all were to have a list to discuss the mechanics of beading on. We need to have the ones who want to learn speak up and tell the ones who know what to help them with. The ones who know need to help the ones who want to learn. Anyone who doesn't participate is sort of doing nothing and gaining info but giving nothing in return. I thought that was pretty unfair. So I told the entire list that if you want to be here - you need to participate. I told them I knew it sounded rough but it was the bare bones of the situation. I simply don't feel it's fair for a big part of the membership to not give anything. Many people are on every bead list they can find and share nothing on any of them. They get the benefits and no one gets anything back from them.

So I'm amazed that people can't grasp the idea that for the list to work properly, we all have to put something into it. I give my time and I want it to work properly.

The part that confuses me is that people who are on other lists of mine left them as well. What's up with that? One in particular actually participates on the list, so I really don't know why she got her panties in a bunch, she was not at all who I directed my post to at all. So what if I'm upset with people who don't bother to participate on the list? What's it to anyone who does? Shouldn't they want to have something shared as well as do the sharing themselves?

I love beads but there are times when the people in the beading community amaze and confuse me.