In a message dated 98-01-08 18:10:24 EST, you write: << I think (from reading the previous messages) it involves feeling that when some people speak up, after having been quiet, they find themselves slapped down by some list members who have a particularly strong view of the world and of literature and of how those interact. And that act of slapping down anyone -- newcomer or not -- is never something to be encouraged here. >> eh, I gotta be honest with you, a person who sees someone's disagreement with their opinion (even a vociferous disagreement) as "slapping them down" should be prepared to be a victim all their lives. And they would certainly deserve it. After all, they're doing it to themselves :) We can't do anything about what other people do, we can only control how we view it and then react to it. Course, it Is always much easier to put all responsibility onto others... Jim