Another option is to do what I do: When I see a certain name in my inbox that I 
know to be of no interest to me, I delete the message without reading it. It 
doesn't take much time or effort, and it eliminates any annoyance or frustration 
with unwanted or unpleasant reading.

Paul D.
 "If this were play'd upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable 
fiction" (_Twelfth Night_ 3.4.127-128). 





________________________________
From: Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, July 18, 2011 12:47:24 PM
Subject: Re: How to deal with a crackpot

    If I am not mistaken, it is possible to direct messages directly to the 
keeper of the list. If there are grammarians among us who would like to see the 
list (or a portion of the list) set aside for grammarians only (as Brad would 
define it), without commentary from linguists, then perhaps they should 
communicate that directly to the list manager. If there are a large number among 
us who feel that way, then the list manager could let that be known, and we 
could take the suggestion seriously. If not, then let's continue as we have in 
the past.

Craig
   


On 7/18/2011 12:39 PM, Carole Hurlbut wrote: 
I would appreciate discussions to be respectful and positive. I delete some 
emails and may need to use a filter or block. Thanks to members who make 
positive choices in their responses. I appreciate it.
>
>Carole
>
>From: Brad Johnston 
>Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 11:05 AM
>To: [log in to unmask] 
>Subject: Re: How to deal with a crackpot
>Note this, Geoffrey. See what I mean? There's nothing "crackpot" about "All Gaul 
>is divided".
>
>
>Bully the chickens and they won't reply. They just won't. No one likes to be 
>bullied as Dick Veit likes to [try to] bully me.
>
>(I changed email addresses because Internet Explorer is having problems that 
>effect my old address. I now use Google Chrome and a new Yahoo address.  Nothing 
>evil or devious about it.) 
>
>
>"exactly what he wants", b.t.w, is very clearly, and reasonably, stated in All 
>Gaul is divided. Maybe, just maybe, the chickens don't want you in their hen 
>house, Dick. If you ever ask them what they want, ask them if they want me in 
>their hen house. If they (grammarians) don't, I will withdraw with considerably 
>more good grace that you exhibit below.
>
>
>.brad.18july11.
>
>
________________________________
From: Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 11:28 AM
>Subject: How to deal with a crackpot
>
>
>Why am I again getting mail from our resident crackpot, when I put a filter on 
>my email account to block his messages? 
>
>
>Answers:
>1. He changed his email address (so I will now block the new one too).
>2. Non-crackpots keep responding to his mail. At long last, can't people realize 
>that it is exactly what he wants? Just stop responding to him, no matter what 
>crazy things he says to provoke you.
>
>~~~~~
>
>Date:    Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:35:31 -0700
>From:    Brad Johnston <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: All Gaul is divided
>
>
>Regarding the possible division of the two main parts of ATEG, which I hope will 
>be considered at the annual meeting, it seems to me that the goal of grammar is 
>that we all might be on the same page, literally and figuratively, so that we 
>might be better able to understand one another.
>
>Understanding one another doesn't depend on where words and conventions came 
>from as much as what they mean. Linguists look at what people actually say and 
>write, (and said and wrote), whereas grammarians try to agree on what makes 
>sense to most of us most of the time. Linguists have different training, 
>different interests, and different goals. They look at what divides us 
>(descriptive grammar), while grammarians look for what joins us together 
>(prescriptive grammar).
>
>When the linguists, who dominate the ATEG listserv, go off on one of their 
>arcane tangents, the grammarians politely say to the linguists, "that's 
>interesting", but it's rather like a corn farmer saying "that's interesting" to 
>a cattle rancher who describes the particulars of raising Holsteins. What 
>interests the linguists IS interesting, it just isn't what makes the grammar 
>world go around.
>
>The demonstrable result is that the linguists tend to carry on their exotic 
>discussions on this listserv and the grammarians tend to lurk in the shadows. I 
>propose to you that there should be a way to better serve the grammarians, of 
>whom there are thousands in this country, and who each have questions about the 
>day-to-day of teaching grammar.
>
>The grammarians can go somewhere else, of course, and maybe they do, but since 
>ATEG is the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar, why is it not 
>appropriate that ATEG concern itself with English Grammar and let the linguists 
>go elsewhere and ponder, in a different venue, those things that interest them?
>
>
>br-had.sun.17july11.
>.
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: 
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>list" 
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/To join or leave this LISTSERV list, 
>please visit the list's web interface at: 
>http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the 
>list" 
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ 
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: 
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list" 

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