john said:
The real point of BB's question, I think, was that no understanding or consensus has emerged about PG's policies, preferences and requirements.
well, no, john, that wasn't really my point. i would just like this listserve to be an interesting place. thus, in terms of my own set of "priorities" for this list, i'd like to dialog, and laugh, and learn, and be inspired. i usually get that much from my weekly poetry open mike -- which is composed primarily by twenty-somethings -- so i don't think it's too much to ask from the people here. yet i am routinely disappointed by remarkably dim dialog, most of which is tired old rhetoric that's been defeated by better argumentation time and time again, largely because it was badly-thought-out in the first place, and not updated. nobody can stay on-topic, or seemingly even think straight. frankly, this place is populated by a bunch of scatterbrains! who -- ironically -- all seem to think they are very smart... michael hart -- bless him on his birthday -- deserved better. *** as for the "policies, preferences, and requirements" of p.g., i think the record on that has been pretty firmly established. it's a jumbled mess. and it's never gonna get any better. because the people in charge largely think it's just dandy. you heard al give his advice -- just keep churning 'em out! the status quo is fine! continue being a cog in the machine! oh sure, there are a few underpinnings of dissatisfaction... as greg noted, people complain about the derivative formats. but nobody in charge has the faintest clue about what to do. you saw how david widger formally included his protest note in the "new improved" versions he is creating, remarking that he doesn't really think they're so "improved" at all, thank you, as he points people to earlier versions now in the "old" folder. and in addition to not having a clue, greg is mightily confused. how about that big "p.g. could post your derivatives!" fiasco? what an embarrassment. not to mention the simple fact that mobileread has had such a library already for a very long time. and people at d.p. think a "committee" can solve their problems. finally, meanwhile, everything has to go through marcello, and he's bound and determined to cut the baby in half if he has to, so he's willing to stonewall until all of you do whatever he says. and nobody is willing to follow a good idea anyway, even if they _could_ recognize one, and they've all shown that they cannot... so, seriously, john, if you're sitting around waiting for guidance, you're wasting your time. you're not gonna get any of that here. so all i can say is, i'm glad i have that weekly poetry open mike... -bowerbird p.s. prove me wrong, folks. have one intelligent dialog. one! you can't do it... you simply cannot do it... you are incapable...