Conference quark::human_relations-v1

307.0. "Happy Birthday, HUMAN_RELATIONS!" by QUARK::LIONEL (We all live in a yellow subroutine) Sat May 09 1987 12:38

    It's hard to believe, but HUMAN_RELATIONS is one year old today!
    And what an interesting year it has been!  The history of H_R
    is older than that, though.  There used to be a conference called
    SEXCETERA, whose name was somewhat deceptive.  Yes, SEXCETERA did
    contain free-wheeling discussions of sexual matters, but its strength
    was in the sharing of feelings and emotions by its readers - many
    of the topics now in H_R were started in SEXCETERA before.
    
    I joined the SEXCETERA family late in its life, and I found help
    and comfort there.  Being able to open up and to share my feelings
    with hundreds of caring friends gave me strength to deal with
    the darkness in my life.  But we knew that it was only a matter
    of time before something bad happened to the conference, and we
    were right.  Because of the entirely inappropriate actions of
    a single reader, the conference was ordered closed, deleted,
    and all copies destroyed.  The arguments and flames against
    Digital by angry noters were intense; you can see some of the
    history in HUMAN::DIGITAL note 111.  Though we would miss it,
    we could live without the frank discussions of sexual matters;
    understanding that Digital would not want such material on their
    network, but we DID miss the sharing and caring that was the
    true essence of SEXCETERA.  Was it perhaps possible to create
    a conference that had only that aspect of SEXCETERA, one that
    dealt only with the interactions and relationships between
    human beings?
    
    In May of 1986, a new conference was started, called HUMAN_RELATIONS.
    For a while, its title read "Version 2 of that other file", but
    it was nothing of the sort.  At first, it was very heavily moderated;
    a natural defense against the forces that had destroyed SEXCETERA,
    but the restrictions, sometimes arbitrarily enforced, stifled the
    free expression that made the earlier conference what it was.  After
    a while, the censorship let up, and people started discovering the
    conference and opening up.
    
    This went on for a few months, and it was good - the most helpful
    topics from SEXCETERA, such as one on divorce, were started again
    in H_R, and we started rebuilding our family.  Last summer, though,
    it was discovered that not only had the moderation eased, it had
    disappeared entirely.  Nobody was watching over the conference.
    A search for new caretakers ensued, during which I volunteered to
    host the conference on my system and to moderate it.  I realized
    immediately that a conference as important to people as H_R needed
    more than one viewpoint.  Jim Burrows and Tamzen Cannoy, both
    having been serious contributors to SEXCETERA, were welcomed as
    co-moderators, and continue as such today.
    
    The conference has not been without controversy - soon after its
    move, Corporate Personnel and Corporate Security became aware of
    a complaint about it, and it looked like it too might be shut
    down.  However, we found that individuals in these organizations
    realized the benefits of the conference, and we worked out an
    agreement that allowed it to continue; an agreement that has
    served as the basis for other conferences since then.  Though
    the moderators must be more conservative than their feelings
    might allow, we believe that a reasonable compromise has been
    reached that allows HUMAN_RELATIONS to be available to and to help
    the maximum number of fellow noters.
    
    So, here it is, a year in the building, and we have a strong family
    of readers - some old and many new.  I am aware of many noters who
    feel that HUMAN_RELATIONS has helped them - I include myself among
    them.  I'm pleased to have H_R continue helping, healing, answering
    all those who turn to it.  We are all learning from others.
    
    To all of our current family, and to those of the future, welcome!
    To mangle a popular phrase, "Grow along with us, the best is yet
    to be."
    
    						Steve

    
        As one of the "new" Noters to this conference, I would certainly
    like to pass on my thanks to all of the people who have helped and
    are still helping me. I wasn't with Digital in the SEXCETERA days
    so I don't really know what I missed but this conference has allowed
    me to share my feelings and hurts at a time when I had no-one else
    to talk to. It also gave me the opportunity perhaps to share someone
    else's problem which made my problems seem less.
    
        So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to H_R and thanks to all the Moderators and
    all the people who contribute (reading and writing) so that perhaps
    we can all learn to understand one another a little better. Thanks
    to all of the people that I feel proud to call my friends
    and very special thanks to one of them in particular for just
    "being there".
    
    be lucky,
    
    Steve 
    

Thank you to the moderators for this conference.  I have read
more then written, but the conference has shown me many varying
points of view and has helped me grow as a person.

Bruce