NavList:

This, comment, is directed as a statement of sympathy for Gary.   I don't have a particular dog in this fight, but Gary has been very helpful to me in the past, for which I'm grateful.  I had a recent run-in on a completely different list, and seen similar dynamics on other online forums.   

In this environment (online forums), people try to gain more knowledge about a subject that they're passionate about.   Oftentimes it can be a subject that they're new to, or, perhaps they have already a strong depth of knowledge in a particular area.   

I find that the vast majority of people on these lists are helpful, but every so often there is a person or a group of people who view themselves as a kind of intellectual guardians of the list (this is distinct from an 'owner' who is the person who worries about putting it together, getting the server, archiving....all the real stuff).  

A few non-NavList examples:

a.) Bluegrass - I play banjo and guitar, and was a member of a bluegrass list, where there were the 'true believers' who regularly castigated people who were either not as knowledgeable as they were, or didn't have the time to dig into esoterica.   At one point, some professionals joined - Sonny Osborne, and Steve Kaufman.   I have great respect for these guys, but they were hounded out by the 'guardians' who were able pick at them incessantly, yet they were just trying to convey some simple tricks for the novice. I quit the list.  

b) Track - there's an online list that's mainly designed for high school track and field discussion.   The list has been taken over by a small fraction of guys who are looking for the next Jim Ryun.   Unless you're able to recite by memory the splits of some american white guys who are up and coming hopefuls in the mile, you're not considered worthy of commenting.   Never mind being interested in Jamaican sprinters in high school who excel - nary a word. 

c) Kayaking - there are a few online lists for kayaking.   Again, there are the purists who set the bar high for any novices, and difference of opinion can frequently be met with derision.   Recently, the list that I'm on has mellowed out.   I don't really know why. 

In any case, this seems to be a repeated theme in many online forums.   I have great respect for Gary.

Sorry that this is quasi - off topic, but there is a kind of universal malaise that seems to infect online forums. We should exercise caution and good will toward our fellow NavListers. 

John H.