I have subscribed to this list for two years and have been a member of the aoir for the last year. I have always found this list to be useful and informative ... sometimes in the area of my own research...but often instructive in the directions other peoples research is taking.

Occasionally I have asked for clarification of particular concepts with which I was struggling. Sometimes I have eagerly read other message strings, and followed the links and readings that they have suggested.

In my own research I have used the aoir research committee's paper on the ethics of internet research as my guide. Inthe past if I haven't had the time to read the air-list messages I have saved them in a file to read later in case I missed something important.

Well I am finding that at least 50% (and rising) messages are not worth the effort of reading ... and I am not complaining about the odd personal messages or friendly banter because that helps me to see you as people ... its just that I have this odd feeling that we (the list members) are being provoked. I don't know why and I'm not going to name names. But I want to know why I feel as if I'm being provoked ... and I don't want the reasons wrapped up in pseudo-academic speech !

It would be nice for the aoir list to return to it's reason for existing, and the reason that I and many others subscribed in the first place ... I have cut and pasted that raison-d'etre here from the aoir web site:-

"The Association of Internet Researchers is an academic association dedicated to the advancement of the cross-disciplinary field of Internet studies. It is a resource and support network promoting critical and scholarly Internet research independent from traditional disciplines and existing across academic borders. The association is international in scope."

Anyone care to lessen my confusion?

Denise Carter
DOCTORAL STUDENT
CASS
UNIVERSITY OF HULL
EMAIL: d.m.carter@cas.hull.ac.uk
OR: denisecarter@denisecarter.net