[ANN] A place to discuss xTalk issues freely

[Curry]

Dear fellow Rev users,

Recently I've been thinking of the xTalk discussions I've experienced in the past on various lists over the years, and also the ones I'm seeing currently. I've been thinking about starting a place where all xTalk issues can be discussed freely, really freely and completely--that is, neither limited by the particular xTalk product, nor the area discussed (technical or general, etc.), nor marketing considerations, nor heavy focus on perception of negativity/positivity, nor even discouraging debate.

In other words, a place to speak freely about xTalk--any and all related matters. Part of the reason for this is that sometimes the need is evident for a place that's not limited by product (Rev, SC, etc.) yet discussions of particular product(s) are welcome as well as general xTalk considerations; and also not limited by the area of focus, so that types of discussions are possible that might not really fit within other lists.

But another reason is the need for a place to truly speak freely, where different views should be welcome, and there is not a sense of having to hold back from speaking out because of secondary reasons, such as avoiding "negativity" or keeping the marketing of a particular product in mind. In my view, when discussing xTalk, such secondary considerations can get in the way of discussing a primary issue itself, and I believe they often do.

The latter reason has been growing on me lately as I watched some current discussions, and I have to credit certain discussions during the last couple of days for finally prompting me into action. (Wow.)

As an xTalk addict with a degree in communications, as well as being a human rights and democracy advocate, I believe that people truly have a need to discuss and communicate freely about issues with xTalk and xCalk products. Understanding, help, progress, sharing experiences and views, contributing ideas and suggestions, discussing theoretical situations or very practical current issues or problems, talking about the good as well as the bad, and even simply being able to speak your mind--I believe all these are crucial to humans in any area of their lives and efforts, including their use of xTalk and environments such as RunRev and the others that have come about since HyperCard.

Effective communication is more than just important, it's what makes so many other things possible. When discussion is limited too much, other things suffer--as do people and communities. Obviously, there have to be some limits in place on any list, and when lists officially represent particular products, of course there are more limits. How far these limits should go is an interesting matter to think about also, but rather than giving my opinion about that right here at this time, I'd rather just see a solution instead. I care about people, and about xTalk, and about xCard products of course, in fact of all of them, including Revolution.

And so, I am taking this opportunity to offer a new list where all discussions related to xTalk are welcome, and no one is discouraged from speaking civilly about relevant topics under normal conditions, even if that involves some debate or controversy, and where there are none of those secondary considerations hanging around in the background. If you feel that you've been unable to speak out in some areas, if you wish to speak more freely in other areas, if you need a place to say something, you will be welcome. I call it xDiscussion.

That's not to say that this is only to be a list for the controversial. On the contrary, I want to encourage all sorts of discussions, and think the need for a product-neutral, widely focused list on xTalk goes far beyond that one area. I also hope that the list definition provides a place for other discussions that don't fit exactly into existing lists, as well as general ones.

That's also not to say that this should be considered a replacement for existing lists, of course, which can be used for areas of discussion that fit well into their focus and requirements--and are allowed--I think it makes sense to use the proper list for a discussion, like using the proper tool for a job, so this is a tool for some jobs that could be difficult otherwise. In fact, this could possibly even prove useful to existing lists, such as this one, and list owners can feel free to recommend it. This post certainly should not be seen as a discouragement from using any existing list(s), but as a new resource offering new opportunities. If the list grows, I will try to encourage it as a place for complete, free, thoughtful, polite, diverse, and fair discussions.

I've looked at existing lists and as far as I know there's nothing exactly like this out there. (See below for a couple of other useful lists with different focus.)

Anyway, it's there if you need it, and I offer it in the hope that it helps people as well as the general cause of xTalk.

Here it is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xDiscussion/

Description:

"xDiscussion is a place to freely discuss xTalk and xCard products, issues, ideas, suggestions, experiences, problems, etc. These include HyperCard and the products which followed it, including SuperCard, Runtime Revolution, and others, as well as general concepts not tied to a particular product. All xTalk related discussions are welcome. Different points of view and even polite debate or controversy are not discouraged. Speak freely. All relevant topic areas are also welcome. Welcome to the xDiscussion!"

You can join either through web interface or e-mail command, and single or digest mode is available.

*** Notice: I'd also like to draw attention (just in case it's not obvious to anyone on first glance) to the fact that I've said nothing negative in this post--the above in parts does mention some situations that could have a potentially negative impact on communications, but you'll notice that I didn't specify exactly where such things were taking place or exactly who might be involved. (Hmm.) And the main focus of this message is on providing a positive solution to serve any unmet needs in xTalk communications, welcoming a variety of viewpoints, and possibly even providing benefits to existing discussion lists by providing a suitable forum for other discussions. How upbeat can you get? :-)

So feel free to use this new list as needed.

FYI, there are some other existing xTalk lists that might come in handy for some types of discussions, with different areas of focus than this one I'm announcing, but good resources and well worth noticing.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/HyperCard/

Hypercard list, focused on HC but general xTalk is also discussed to some extent. Very interesting if you like HC.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xTalks/

"dedicated to the standardization of the syntax of [xTalk] languages."

http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/metacard

Another list at RunRev--MC came before RunRev, and for a while the two existed side by side. So, it's of interest for some people, maybe old-timers more than newcomers, but Metacard list has been a place for some interesting xTalk discussions. (I'm not sure this is exactly the same as the old MC list or lists, but anyway there's the current one.)

Best wishes,

Curry Kenworthy