Thanks to each and every one who has written to me
privately or about me publically.  I do appreciate
your support.  I wanted to clarify a few points:

o  When I said that Yahoogroups would do nothing in
response to the allegations fostered, I know that to
be true.

Yahoogroups provides a free service.  For nine months,
I WAS visited by a cyber bomber from the United Arab
Emirates and, as many of you know, tried many things
to try to make it stop (appealing to colleagues,
infusing the law, doing my own detective work, etc.),
and I can tell you that Yahoogroups is a free service
and they do not respond to emails--you might get a
canned response, but it generally doesn't answer the
question, and then at great delay--they don't respond
to phone calls, and they don't respond to FAXes.
Plainly and simply they do not respond to someone on a
list (for the most part).

The only way I was able to rid myself of the attempted
cyber bomber was to contact the FBI.  In short
measure, the problem was solved (for now).  But for
nine long months I had to stay two steps ahead of this
person by doing some of the things I have offered to
you here: sort your email by size, don't click on
attachments, etc.

o  MuseJobs and the other lists I run are a hobby for
me.  I have a full-time job--more than full-time
actually--but my kids are now grown and don't need my
attention as they once did.  I spend a great deal of
time with the grandchildren--often in museums--and my
policeman boyfriend of 2-1/2 years is 2500 miles away
so that, when he goes to bed at night, that leaves me
time on my hands to fill, and I usually do my queries
while I'm watching TV or listening to music.

To the consternation of several of my male friends
(current beau--who understands my logic--old beau who
stil calls, and the Wonder Boy (ahem)), I don't do any
part of what I do for money.  I don't have a single
plan as it stands today (never say never) to charge
for any of this, and I don't try to sell anything or
allow those lists to be used to sell anything.  If, as
it is with the Foundation Center or FindLaw,
information I post contains an ad I believe could be
of value to the list, I include it.

I've had people say, gee you have this large list,
can't you please help me market my website with your
group?  The answer is no.  It's a focused list for a
specific clientele.

My experience is that my "client base" is very
educated, often still has a great deal of educational
debt, and isn't going to make market rate in a museum
commensurate with the amount of education that is
required.  In combination with that, the job market
for the museum world has been very fragile since 9/11
(or before) and we have countless very qualified
people who are hungering for jobs.

o  I used the internet in 1997 to find a son I
relinquished to adoption in 1970 (long story, and
believe me, if there were other options . . .).  It
was a wonderful experience and, in the process, as I
enmeshed myself with others who were also
searching--whether adoptee or birth parent--I had
cause to learn how to search online effectively.
After all, with 50 dollars, 8 hours, and a part of a
name, I had found my child.

Experience had shown that this was a bright
population, but that many did not know how to search,
and it seemed a shame to me that they might struggle
with finding a job.  After many years of individuals
coming here, just arriving and saying hire me, it
seemed there was a need to have a forum where they
could look and be helped to find a job.  That's why
MuseJobs was created.  There was a "bitchy' contingent
here who didn't want to talk about jobs, and there was
a need that was easily met if someone wanted to meet
it. I like young people--being 50 years young
myself--and I felt a duty to help where I could.

After working full-time, raising two kids alone
without child support a majority of the years, going
to school full or part-time (and making the dean's
list), and volunteering about 250 hours a year in
service to the community, working full time now and
spending my time in service to the museum community is
a piece of cake.  I probably put in about 20-25 hours
on average per week. Sometimes I post in the middle of
the night, and I serve my lists first thing in the
morning, on my lunch hour, and when I get home at
night--if I'm not doing other fun things like the
Springsteen Concert last weekend at Dodger Stadium, or
the beach with my daughter and family, or planning my
next trip to Florida to be with my guy (who knows I
love museums and has been scouting for me).

o  I'm not spamming anyone.  They are there because
they choose to be.  If it's not your niche, then
please do leave and go where you will be happy or
better served.  By the same token, I am happy here and
am staying as INDIGO whether it pleases you or not.  I
don't understand the power struggle here, but peer to
peer, it's best if you just drop it.

o  What do I provide through MuseJobs?  With the
blessed help of Jim Roberts of the University of
Leicester, my commoderator, and the help of many
wonderful posters, the following information gets
provided:

* Job leads for museum related jobs
* Job leads for directly transferrable jobs (people
with a good skill set not in a museum still need to
work to pay the bills until they can find the job of
their dreams)
* Employment law
* Interview, resume, and other hiring tips
* Information on the state of the job market in
general, and a lot more.

I am the one that posts a majority of the information,
and it is gleaned from many sources. Among the leads I
provide is information from Careerbuilder.com,
Idealist.org, ajb.org, jobs.nytimes.com,
Washingtonpost.com, flipdog.com, The Foundation
Center, FindLaw, HotJobs, job-related posts from the
Museum-L list and much, much more.

When I define my queries, they have to do with museum,
zoo, planetarium, aquarium, botanical garden, library,
park ranger, state park, archaeology, anthropology,
professor, curator, archivist, historian, and more.
One needs to open their horizons on what would
constitute a "museum" to stay gainfully employed in a
very tight market.

o  All new members of MuseJobs are on moderated status
for a period of time.  Why?  To preclude just the kind
of spamming I have been accused of doing.

So if the members here are looking for a job, you are
welcome to join us at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseJobs

I don't want to talk about me any more, and I don't
want you or the list to think you have to.  Clearly, I
don't want any more of the insane abuse.

Let's get back to the mirth and merriment and the
serious business of museums.  I learn so much from
each of you here.  You're an amazing bunch, and it's
why I stay.

So, in that vein, here are a couple of ideas for
threads:

o  9/11 fast approaches.  This marks the second
anniversary.  Are any of you planning memorials and/or
exhibits?

o  The Middle East has been a hotbed of tumult.  As a
way of educating the general public and allaying the
fears of children (as in building tolerance), are any
of you building or displaying special exhibitions to
engender understanding instead of enmity?

o  The election year is on its way.  Besides the
circus here in California (oy vey), are any of you
displaying exhibits about the voting process and
especially in light of the ballyhoo that was the
election of 2000?

o  Which of you have exhibits about the Americans with
Disabilities Act?

o  The school year has either just started or soon
will.  What things will you be doing differently this
school year than you did last (lessons learned)?

o  A new baby panda was born at the San Diego Zoo this
week and a second fetus is due to be born.  They have
been using a videocam.  How many of you have videocam
feeds on your websites?

o  In light of the virus situation and the fact that
so many museums have so few resources to deal with
computers, how many of you have been severely impacted
and, are you networking with entities--i.e., asking
for volunteers, etc.--from the private sector to
assist you in these efforts.

o  Do you seek in-kind donations from private
corporations for your computer equipment/software, and
what have been some of the better sources?

o  After working for 10 years in the museum field,
what coursework did you find you needed to go back and
add to your educational base and/or refresh upon.

There.  Hopefully you can find a topic to grab onto,
and let's steer this ship back upright.

Thanks again.


--- calinda lee <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Points are well-taken.  But can we give this bashing
> a rest now and get back to the great information
> offered through this list?  It's rather
> disconcerting when so much bad energy goes round and
> round (even when justified).
>
> Colleagues, many thanks!
>
> Calinda Lee
>
> _____________
> Calinda N. Lee, Ph.D.
> Historian/ Consultant
> [log in to unmask]


=====
Indigo Nights
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