I have been a member of this list for approximately eight months.
Sometimes I receive up to 60 messages a day.  Most of these messages get
deleted without being read.  My interest is in art museums and so I don't
find myself into discussions about defleshing remains, giving people advice
on where to go during their summer vacations, or participating in the
contest to name every railroad museum in the world. But I am not, thank
god,  the arbiter of this list. So I use my delete button OFTEN.  The
original message was one line.  Your response was 77 lines. I appreciate
your taking the time from your responsibilities as a busy professional to
explain to Museum-L your position in depth (and to recount the tale of your
friend's unrequited good deed).  However, I want to go on record as saying:
1) had I been in a position to help the individual who was looking for
housing I would have; 2) I think you underestimate the number of people on
this list in the New York metropolitan area; and 3)  I think it is the kind
of "censorship" you propose that would discourage people from using this
list or make them drop off the list, not a simple request for assistance.
If a person has to be afraid to post a message to the list for fear that
their question may not be professional enough would be VERY BAD indeed. Are
we such overeducated elitist snobs that there is potential subject matter
that might offend or defile our finely honed professional sensibilities?
After all, who among us can or wants to determine which information about
professional matters is valuable and which isn't?  David, we are all
grown-up--let the members of this list decide on their own whether they
care to read something or not (or to help someone or not).

Mary Mancuso