Let me preface this post by saying, I have lots of friends in Modi'in. Relatives as well. I think it's a relatively well-planned modern Israeli city. Rent and housing prices are on the expensive side, but it seems like a nice place.
I've blogged about Modi'in before:
1. School refuses to allow a student to daven with tefillin in a closet (or anywhere in the school)
2. The Sefer Torah that fell in Modi'in -- and the communal fast day afterwards.
3. Jews from Modi'in who enjoy signing Christmas carols in the public park.
Hmm, were those all negative posts? I didn't mean for them to be. A Torah could fall anywhere...besides, keep reading. I'm not done yet with Modi'in.
Normally, Modi'in is not part of my daily schedule -- I pass by it sometimes if I chose to drive that way to work. Its simply on the map.
I posted earlier today a Public Service Announcement on behalf of a group of parents forming to create a religious hostel to care for autistic children in Israel. I also contacted people to please forward the message to different community email lists around Israel as well -- Efrat, Kfar Saba, Raanana, Nof Ayalon, Modi'in, etc., as this is an important issue -- especially for families that have autistic children.
[Note: If you haven't seen this PSA on your local Israel email list, please send submit it. Thanks]
Every list I contacted, posted it.
Imagine my surprise at the response from the Modi'in email list's moderator:
From: <modiin-owner@lerner.co.il>
Date: Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Subject: Request to mailing list Modiin rejected
To: (name of submitter removed)
I've blogged about Modi'in before:
1. School refuses to allow a student to daven with tefillin in a closet (or anywhere in the school)
2. The Sefer Torah that fell in Modi'in -- and the communal fast day afterwards.
3. Jews from Modi'in who enjoy signing Christmas carols in the public park.
Hmm, were those all negative posts? I didn't mean for them to be. A Torah could fall anywhere...besides, keep reading. I'm not done yet with Modi'in.
Normally, Modi'in is not part of my daily schedule -- I pass by it sometimes if I chose to drive that way to work. Its simply on the map.
I posted earlier today a Public Service Announcement on behalf of a group of parents forming to create a religious hostel to care for autistic children in Israel. I also contacted people to please forward the message to different community email lists around Israel as well -- Efrat, Kfar Saba, Raanana, Nof Ayalon, Modi'in, etc., as this is an important issue -- especially for families that have autistic children.
[Note: If you haven't seen this PSA on your local Israel email list, please send submit it. Thanks]
Every list I contacted, posted it.
Imagine my surprise at the response from the Modi'in email list's moderator:
From: <modiin-owner@lerner.co.il>
Date: Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Subject: Request to mailing list Modiin rejected
To: (name of submitter removed)
Your request to the Modiin mailing list
Posting of your message titled "religious hostel for autistic children"
has been rejected by the list moderator. The moderator gave the
following reason for rejecting your request:
"While a worth cause, the Modiin list is not the proper forum for this
posting. The Modiin list is only for postings that specifically have
to do with life in Modiin. Thank you for your cooperation."
Any questions or comments should be directed to the list administrator
at: modiin-owner@lerner.co.il
Posting of your message titled "religious hostel for autistic children"
has been rejected by the list moderator. The moderator gave the
following reason for rejecting your request:
"While a worth cause, the Modiin list is not the proper forum for this
posting. The Modiin list is only for postings that specifically have
to do with life in Modiin. Thank you for your cooperation."
Any questions or comments should be directed to the list administrator
at: modiin-owner@lerner.co.il
EXCUSE ME?!
Tell me, if you are religious, live in Modi'in, and have an autistic child -- you wouldn't find this information, important and timely? You wouldn't want to know about options like this?
Modi'in people:
Do you know that your email list is so seriously
What a blessed town Modi'in must be, that there are no autistic children living there, and they are not part of "life in Modi'in."
Are there handicapped parking spaces in Modi'in? We wouldn't want to interfere with the idyllic life of Modi'in, by wasting parking spaces on handicapped people, would we?
I know...we need to modify the email for it to get posted! Possible subject headlines include:
Tonight at the park -- Christmas Caroling Choir for autistic children!
You too can prevent autistic children from wearing tefillin at Modi'in's mamlachti schools!
Seems like Christmas caroling in the park is ok -- a message about a religious hostel (that won't even be in Modi'in, but can be USED by children from Modi'in) for autistic children is off-limits and inappropriate.
Tell me Mister Modi'in List Moderator -- that's rather unChristmaslike of you, wouldn't you say?
I expect that Santa will be leaving you a lump of coal this year.
Lurker thought this should be posted as well:
Going to Israel?
Now get 2 phones for the price of 1 (and free calls too) with Talk'n'Save.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
Gee Jameel, tell me what you really think! (Not that you aren't right, but this really riled you up..)
ReplyDeleteSadly NIMBY-ism is not exclusive to Modi'in.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3823838,00.html
Yellow Boy
I find that these list moderators can get a little fascist at times. They turn these lists into their own little fiefdoms and enjoy making arbitrary rules that aren't always for the benefit of the list readers.
ReplyDeleteI think you should send a link to this post to the list! It definitely has to do with modiin now! :)
ReplyDeleteJameel, not to rain on your religious parade (and no ill will meant) :), but those moderators are NOT refusing this post because it talks about parents of children with autism OR because it's about a religious moadon............they have refused MANY of my posts because I did not mention anything SPECIFIC to modiin. Once I was just selling a stove top but hadn't moved to Modiin, was still in Mevasseret, so I couldn't sell it. Another time I posted about something generic to people but didn't mention Modiin so it was refused.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend that you RESubmit it and title it: FOR MODIIN PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM........and then continue wtih your post, noting that this will be a service for families of children with Autism in the Modiin area.
Good luck! :)
Emah S: Actually, the text sent to the Modiin list was modified from the PSA on my blog. It was tailor written for Modiin -- and said "if you are a modiin family with an autistic child...etc"
ReplyDelete(something to that effect).
What can we conclude from that?
The Xmas Carols posting last year was an admitted hoax.
ReplyDeleteVery well written - the moderator should be pointed in the direction of this link! - Jameela
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm the person who tried to post this to the Modiin list and I DID add in that its for modiin parents to the text and it was rejected. Feel free to try and post it yourself...
ReplyDeleteAnon, did you contact the moderators after your post was rejected. He gets so many posts a day that maybe he just wasn't thinking clearly? When something of mine was recently rejected, it was put up again after I contacted them.
ReplyDeleteI sent a link to this post to the moderators, for what it's worth.
But it is a private list, so I suppose they can do what they want.
The modiin email list moderators spend sometimes hours every day to help keep the modiin email list valuable to modiin residents. That doesn't mean that everything of value goes on the list, or we will start having weather reports and stock tips as well. There are better places for that on the Net. They must be doing something right, because the list has grown to over 2000 members and has been going strong now for over 12 years. Is this how you define fascism?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 4:24 PM: They must be doing something right, because the list has grown to over 2000 members and has been going strong now for over 12 years. Is this how you define fascism?
ReplyDeleteUm... excuse me?
What the heck are you talking about?
Anonymous: You're right. A hostel for autistic children (even from Modiin) is on the same scale as a weather report.
ReplyDeleteI guess lurker's cartoon could be modified to include your name as well?
I'm sure the list IS important -- which is why it was requested to be submitted in the first place.
I guess its simply not important enough...and parents with autistic children in Modiin would be better off living elsewhere.
Jameel: Anonymous: You're right. A hostel for autistic children (even from Modiin) is on the same scale as a weather report.
ReplyDeleteActually, I thought it was more like a stock tip...
Jameel: I guess lurker's cartoon could be modified to include your name as well?
I'm not sure that's necessary -- I've got a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Anonymous is the moderator...
Please.
ReplyDeleteDon't use the M-derator's name in vain.
HE has a very difficult job of ruling over this extremely important and valuable list.
No one wants to waste people's time with trivial, non-Modiin matters.
Hi
ReplyDeleteYou should have noted that there are several Modiin lists. The one you sent to was a private Lerner list. Send to Modiin@yahoogroups.com and we will be happy to publish it.
Modiinmod
Your post gives me space to rant about how much I hate Modiin. I have a close relative there, so I have to spend more time than I would like in that yuppy self centered city. I am not surprised at all by the response.
ReplyDeleteYuppy self centered city? Now now....!
ReplyDeleteYawn...This is what you dragged me over to see, some absurd complaint about a mailing list. Come on Jameel, this is why people hate blogs, too many people yelling about nothing, and then following it up later in the day with another snarky anti-Modiin moderator comment. Posts like this are exactly why I find blogs so uninteresting and mostly useless.
ReplyDeleteAir Time:
ReplyDeleteAw, c'mon, don't be such a grinch. Didn't you at least like my cute illustrations? :-)
i thought it was overkill for something so small but it was a lovely cartoon
ReplyDeleteYawn... when will people who find blogs a waste of time stop wasting their time actually commenting that they're a waste of time?
ReplyDeleteWell, Modiin is trying real hard to keep out the chareidim, so...
ReplyDeleteI'm taking the side of the moderators on this one. In Defense of "Fascist" Email List Moderators
ReplyDeletehere at teaneckshuls, we would always approve a similar type message :)
ReplyDeletecomments like this really hurt the volunteer moderators' feelings:
"I find that these list moderators can get a little fascist at times. They turn these lists into their own little fiefdoms and enjoy making arbitrary rules that aren't always for the benefit of the list readers."
what exactly r we fief-ing over?! u have no idea of the talmudic-like decisions that r made each day, attempting to be fair to all members.
complimentary emails to the mods r incredibly rare, but complaint ones...wow, they can overwhelm your email box.
lists have usually very clear rules. & when there is no specific rule which covers a specific situation, the mod must make a judgement call...sometimes a good one, sometimes not so good. it happens. is perfection a human trait only attributable to mods? or can we be fallible?
ah, bah humbug!
Not every list is run by volunteers on a non profit basis. The rananalist and janglo/tanglo are both for profit ad supported websites now.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago i submitted an ad to the rannanalist (now called inHasharon) for a local hat sale for a friend. It was rejected because according to the new rules, it was now an ad that needed to be paid for since it was for a "business" (??). I was furious because I felt that now the moderators were taking advantage of the community's attention for their own profit. They have forgotten the original purpose of these lists- to provide the community with a place for sharing information. I complained and they let it through, but why did they have to make a big deal in the first place?
If you remember that original purpose, I'm not sure why the posting decisions get talmudic. You're only making it more difficult for yourself. I work as an editor for an investing blog aggregator and our guiding principle: Will this information help our readers? I'm not sure why you couldn't apply the same principle and use reader feedback as a measure of how much or how little to include.
I've had a number of messages to the Modi'in list rejected for not being "relevant" to Modi'in. I know the moderators (there are more than one) get tons of messages, but still - the rejections are sometimes ridiculous, sometimes not. And sometimes I get a rejection, yet a few days later, I see a nearly identical posting from someone else.
ReplyDeleteThis one was just ridiculous. Glad it finally got posted, although, I have to say, I don`t actually remember seeing it...