Dear members of the NVDA community and members of this forum:

First, thank you for your valuable posts for the past few days.

It has been brought to our attention that we’re straying way off topic from the purpose of this forum, stemming from a discussion that the moderator has intervened. A few hours later, someone started discussing a topic that didn’t fit the subject line to a point where we’ve started discussing other topics.

For the past few hours, Joseph Lee (the moderator/associate owner) was debating whether to declare an emergency, a first of its kind for this forum. An emergency mode means all off-topic posts are closed immediately. He says that, as the chair of the committee in charge of NVDACon preparations, he felt uneasy regarding this, seeing that this could have an impact on the reputation of NVDA, NVDACon and this forum.

Thus, Joseph Lee says:

I, Joseph Lee, seeing the current situation on the NVDA list and due to an important event that’ll take place in less than 48 hours from now, hereby declare that an emergency exists in NVDA International Users Forum. Any off-topic subjects discussed for the past few hours, shortly after the moderator’s declaration on April 18, 2016, are hereby nullified (threads closed). This emergency will be lifted once the leadership team (Nimer Jaber and Joseph Lee) determine that the conditions for emergency mode is no more.

Joseph speaking:

On mailing lists I’m a moderator of, I usually allow some off-topic posts. But what we saw for the past few hours has been something that is beyond words. Perhaps I’m feeling the stress while organizing NVDACon 2016 (which has been in the works for the past six months), perhaps I’m feeling academic stress, perhaps I’m worried too much about the reputation of this forum and what not. For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about current state of this community and what we can do to make it better, as well as to help NV Access and other members of the NVDA community have a joyful year throughout 2016 as we celebrate NVDA’s tenth anniversary. To put it bluntly, I’m very disappointed at the state of NVDA International Users Forum, and to put it nicely, we’re in the danger of alienating potential community members due to our conduct (and some people did leave our list). If this happened at another time, it would have ended with a letter; but we’re living in the eve of NVDA Users and Developers Conference 2016 (tenth Anniversary Edition), an important event that’ll serve as an important occasion for each and every one of us to unite under NVDA, its history, future potential and celebrating its features. To find an international forum conducting ourselves like this at the eve of this important event is, to me, a huge public relations disaster (and I’m not saying this lightly).

At this moment I’d like to kindly ask that we ask ourselves the following: how did this happen, why is this happening, and what can we do?

Thus, for the sake of NV Access, rest of the NVDA community, NVDACon organizers and for other users around the world, I’d like to sincerely request that we show ourselves as model users and community members throughout NVDACon days and beyond (like many of you, I’d like to see NVDACon become a successful gathering).

If you have any questions, commetns or concerns regarding the emergency mode, please let Nimer and I (Joseph Lee) now via email at nvda+owner@groups.io. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Lee

Moderator, NVDA International Users Forum

Translator, code contributor and community add-ons reviewer, NVDA screen reader project

Chair, NVDA Tenth Anniversary Planning Committee

Hello Joseph, and list

 

I am one of the guilty parties and wish to apologise if my posts was out of line as far as this list is concerned. I will refrain from off topic discussions in futere.

 

Having said that, I support the suggestion of a possible sub-list to be used for off topic chats.

 

Cheers

 

Christo

 

From: Joseph Lee [mailto:joseph.lee22590@...]
Sent: Wednesday, 20 April 2016 8:04 AM
To: nvda@groups.io
Subject: [nvda] IMPORTANT: This list is now under emergency mode #AdminNotice #ModNotice

 

Dear members of the NVDA community and members of this forum:

 

First, thank you for your valuable posts for the past few days.

 

It has been brought to our attention that we’re straying way off topic from the purpose of this forum, stemming from a discussion that the moderator has intervened. A few hours later, someone started discussing a topic that didn’t fit the subject line to a point where we’ve started discussing other topics.

 

For the past few hours, Joseph Lee (the moderator/associate owner) was debating whether to declare an emergency, a first of its kind for this forum. An emergency mode means all off-topic posts are closed immediately. He says that, as the chair of the committee in charge of NVDACon preparations, he felt uneasy regarding this, seeing that this could have an impact on the reputation of NVDA, NVDACon and this forum.

 

Thus, Joseph Lee says:

 

I, Joseph Lee, seeing the current situation on the NVDA list and due to an important event that’ll take place in less than 48 hours from now, hereby declare that an emergency exists in NVDA International Users Forum. Any off-topic subjects discussed for the past few hours, shortly after the moderator’s declaration on April 18, 2016, are hereby nullified (threads closed). This emergency will be lifted once the leadership team (Nimer Jaber and Joseph Lee) determine that the conditions for emergency mode is no more.

 

Joseph speaking:

 

On mailing lists I’m a moderator of, I usually allow some off-topic posts. But what we saw for the past few hours has been something that is beyond words. Perhaps I’m feeling the stress while organizing NVDACon 2016 (which has been in the works for the past six months), perhaps I’m feeling academic stress, perhaps I’m worried too much about the reputation of this forum and what not. For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about current state of this community and what we can do to make it better, as well as to help NV Access and other members of the NVDA community have a joyful year throughout 2016 as we celebrate NVDA’s tenth anniversary. To put it bluntly, I’m very disappointed at the state of NVDA International Users Forum, and to put it nicely, we’re in the danger of alienating potential community members due to our conduct (and some people did leave our list). If this happened at another time, it would have ended with a letter; but we’re living in the eve of NVDA Users and Developers Conference 2016 (tenth Anniversary Edition), an important event that’ll serve as an important occasion for each and every one of us to unite under NVDA, its history, future potential and celebrating its features. To find an international forum conducting ourselves like this at the eve of this important event is, to me, a huge public relations disaster (and I’m not saying this lightly).

 

At this moment I’d like to kindly ask that we ask ourselves the following: how did this happen, why is this happening, and what can we do?

 

Thus, for the sake of NV Access, rest of the NVDA community, NVDACon organizers and for other users around the world, I’d like to sincerely request that we show ourselves as model users and community members throughout NVDACon days and beyond (like many of you, I’d like to see NVDACon become a successful gathering).

 

If you have any questions, commetns or concerns regarding the emergency mode, please let Nimer and I (Joseph Lee) now via email at nvda+owner@groups.io. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Lee

Moderator, NVDA International Users Forum

Translator, code contributor and community add-ons reviewer, NVDA screen reader project

Chair, NVDA Tenth Anniversary Planning Committee

 

Hello, I have thought about this muchly for the past few, well since this list was ported over to groups.io.
I do agree that we need a sublist for offtopic messages and just sillyness and carrying on.
Yet at the same time we'd have to keep some sort of a way to track so that nobody could knowingly send us off to some link somewhere that would contain a virus.
Notice i said knowingly, i know sometimes its bound to happen.

Anyway, that is just my idea.
Have a nice day all.

Scott

On 4/20/2016 4:28 AM, Christo Vorster wrote:

Hello Joseph, and list

 

I am one of the guilty parties and wish to apologise if my posts was out of line as far as this list is concerned. I will refrain from off topic discussions in futere.

 

Having said that, I support the suggestion of a possible sub-list to be used for off topic chats.

 

Cheers

 

Christo

 

From: Joseph Lee [mailto:joseph.lee22590@...]
Sent: Wednesday, 20 April 2016 8:04 AM
To: nvda@groups.io
Subject: [nvda] IMPORTANT: This list is now under emergency mode #AdminNotice #ModNotice

 

Dear members of the NVDA community and members of this forum:

 

First, thank you for your valuable posts for the past few days.

 

It has been brought to our attention that we’re straying way off topic from the purpose of this forum, stemming from a discussion that the moderator has intervened. A few hours later, someone started discussing a topic that didn’t fit the subject line to a point where we’ve started discussing other topics.

 

For the past few hours, Joseph Lee (the moderator/associate owner) was debating whether to declare an emergency, a first of its kind for this forum. An emergency mode means all off-topic posts are closed immediately. He says that, as the chair of the committee in charge of NVDACon preparations, he felt uneasy regarding this, seeing that this could have an impact on the reputation of NVDA, NVDACon and this forum.

 

Thus, Joseph Lee says:

 

I, Joseph Lee, seeing the current situation on the NVDA list and due to an important event that’ll take place in less than 48 hours from now, hereby declare that an emergency exists in NVDA International Users Forum. Any off-topic subjects discussed for the past few hours, shortly after the moderator’s declaration on April 18, 2016, are hereby nullified (threads closed). This emergency will be lifted once the leadership team (Nimer Jaber and Joseph Lee) determine that the conditions for emergency mode is no more.

 

Joseph speaking:

 

On mailing lists I’m a moderator of, I usually allow some off-topic posts. But what we saw for the past few hours has been something that is beyond words. Perhaps I’m feeling the stress while organizing NVDACon 2016 (which has been in the works for the past six months), perhaps I’m feeling academic stress, perhaps I’m worried too much about the reputation of this forum and what not. For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about current state of this community and what we can do to make it better, as well as to help NV Access and other members of the NVDA community have a joyful year throughout 2016 as we celebrate NVDA’s tenth anniversary. To put it bluntly, I’m very disappointed at the state of NVDA International Users Forum, and to put it nicely, we’re in the danger of alienating potential community members due to our conduct (and some people did leave our list). If this happened at another time, it would have ended with a letter; but we’re living in the eve of NVDA Users and Developers Conference 2016 (tenth Anniversary Edition), an important event that’ll serve as an important occasion for each and every one of us to unite under NVDA, its history, future potential and celebrating its features. To find an international forum conducting ourselves like this at the eve of this important event is, to me, a huge public relations disaster (and I’m not saying this lightly).

 

At this moment I’d like to kindly ask that we ask ourselves the following: how did this happen, why is this happening, and what can we do?

 

Thus, for the sake of NV Access, rest of the NVDA community, NVDACon organizers and for other users around the world, I’d like to sincerely request that we show ourselves as model users and community members throughout NVDACon days and beyond (like many of you, I’d like to see NVDACon become a successful gathering).

 

If you have any questions, commetns or concerns regarding the emergency mode, please let Nimer and I (Joseph Lee) now via email at nvda+owner@groups.io. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Lee

Moderator, NVDA International Users Forum

Translator, code contributor and community add-ons reviewer, NVDA screen reader project

Chair, NVDA Tenth Anniversary Planning Committee

 

Well great that there is a new list for chit chat, but that's what's FB and twitter is for.

Hello, I have thought about this muchly for the past few, well since this list was ported over to groups.io.
I do agree that we need a sublist for offtopic messages and just sillyness and carrying on.
Yet at the same time we'd have to keep some sort of a way to track so that nobody could knowingly send us off to some link somewhere that would contain a virus.
Notice i said knowingly, i know sometimes its bound to happen.

Anyway, that is just my idea.
Have a nice day all.

Scott

On 4/20/2016 4:28 AM, Christo Vorster wrote:

Hello Joseph, and list

 

I am one of the guilty parties and wish to apologise if my posts was out of line as far as this list is concerned. I will refrain from off topic discussions in futere.

 

Having said that, I support the suggestion of a possible sub-list to be used for off topic chats.

 

Cheers

 

Christo

 

From: Joseph Lee [mailto:joseph.lee22590@...]
Sent: Wednesday, 20 April 2016 8:04 AM
To: nvda@groups.io
Subject: [nvda] IMPORTANT: This list is now under emergency mode #AdminNotice #ModNotice

 

Dear members of the NVDA community and members of this forum:

 

First, thank you for your valuable posts for the past few days.

 

It has been brought to our attention that we’re straying way off topic from the purpose of this forum, stemming from a discussion that the moderator has intervened. A few hours later, someone started discussing a topic that didn’t fit the subject line to a point where we’ve started discussing other topics.

 

For the past few hours, Joseph Lee (the moderator/associate owner) was debating whether to declare an emergency, a first of its kind for this forum. An emergency mode means all off-topic posts are closed immediately. He says that, as the chair of the committee in charge of NVDACon preparations, he felt uneasy regarding this, seeing that this could have an impact on the reputation of NVDA, NVDACon and this forum.

 

Thus, Joseph Lee says:

 

I, Joseph Lee, seeing the current situation on the NVDA list and due to an important event that’ll take place in less than 48 hours from now, hereby declare that an emergency exists in NVDA International Users Forum. Any off-topic subjects discussed for the past few hours, shortly after the moderator’s declaration on April 18, 2016, are hereby nullified (threads closed). This emergency will be lifted once the leadership team (Nimer Jaber and Joseph Lee) determine that the conditions for emergency mode is no more.

 

Joseph speaking:

 

On mailing lists I’m a moderator of, I usually allow some off-topic posts. But what we saw for the past few hours has been something that is beyond words. Perhaps I’m feeling the stress while organizing NVDACon 2016 (which has been in the works for the past six months), perhaps I’m feeling academic stress, perhaps I’m worried too much about the reputation of this forum and what not. For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about current state of this community and what we can do to make it better, as well as to help NV Access and other members of the NVDA community have a joyful year throughout 2016 as we celebrate NVDA’s tenth anniversary. To put it bluntly, I’m very disappointed at the state of NVDA International Users Forum, and to put it nicely, we’re in the danger of alienating potential community members due to our conduct (and some people did leave our list). If this happened at another time, it would have ended with a letter; but we’re living in the eve of NVDA Users and Developers Conference 2016 (tenth Anniversary Edition), an important event that’ll serve as an important occasion for each and every one of us to unite under NVDA, its history, future potential and celebrating its features. To find an international forum conducting ourselves like this at the eve of this important event is, to me, a huge public relations disaster (and I’m not saying this lightly).

 

At this moment I’d like to kindly ask that we ask ourselves the following: how did this happen, why is this happening, and what can we do?

 

Thus, for the sake of NV Access, rest of the NVDA community, NVDACon organizers and for other users around the world, I’d like to sincerely request that we show ourselves as model users and community members throughout NVDACon days and beyond (like many of you, I’d like to see NVDACon become a successful gathering).

 

If you have any questions, commetns or concerns regarding the emergency mode, please let Nimer and I (Joseph Lee) now via email at nvda+owner@groups.io. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Lee

Moderator, NVDA International Users Forum

Translator, code contributor and community add-ons reviewer, NVDA screen reader project

Chair, NVDA Tenth Anniversary Planning Committee