[CS-FSLUG] Junk mail filters

[Tim Young]

I filter things the manual way, highlight and press delete. And I do 
that for a specific reason.

I do not often participate in a lot of the discussions that are off 
topic. But I have participated in some. One thing that I realize is that 
this online discussion group is "community" for many on the list. It has 
been around a long time, and while the discussions sometimes get a 
little ferocious, it is often among "friends." I have often prayed for 
many of the people on this list, over things they are going through; 
part of the Christian walk is being vulnerable, and helping each-other 
grow. And sometimes a friend needs to give a listening ear. Or, in some 
cases, a silent > /dev/null.

I realize I would not recognize most people on this list if I walked 
past them, but they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. And it is a 
community that I have chosen to be a part of. Sometimes the croup can be 
offensive, sometimes harsh, and sometimes wrong (in my opinion). But I 
choose to try to love the people at the other end. Even if that simply 
means ignoring some of the flame-wars. I often pray for the people 
involved, and press delete.

It is not always fun, but every group (church, Bible-study, etc) has 
similar dynamics. Conversations spring up that may not belong, simply 
because it is a community, not just a collection of non-entities. But I 
am glad for the various subject-line tags.

- Tim Young