Gosh y'all. 
I have been a list member for a long time but a couple of years
ago reached the point where I stopped regularly following the
postings here.  That saddens me because HP3000-L for many years
was a community where I could not only find  quality assistance
for work-related questions but could find enjoyment from quality
off-topic postings.  I really believe that the non-3k
contributions to the list from back then were a wonderful bonus
and I miss them.  Folks felt free to contribute subjects from
astronomy to photography to biology.  Their HP3000-L community
contributions were thoughtfully written and showed not only  a
facility with their subject but a love for the subject.  Also,
some folks possess such a skill for writing that regardless of the
topic of their posting, their writing was a joy to read.  I
considered each off-topic contribution as a chance to learn and
share in the enjoyment that folks routinely conveyed in their
writing.  Regretfully, over the last few years, it seems that both
joy and thought have been replaced by barbs and ad hominems in 
crudely worded postings containing little evidence of either
measured wording or subject proficiency.  I do not believe that
this type of posting actually adds to the value of the list,
rather I see them as draining the essence from what was once a
wonderful place to visit.  So, I am thankful that I was a list
member back then.  I am thankful for the chance to be exposed to
concepts such  as pleiotropy and I am grateful for the wonderful
guidance while switching from film to digital photography.  For
those of you unfamiliar with how the community functioned back
then and how quality off-topic contributions to the list created
such a value, please read through the archives. 
Chip

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