What is on topic for the Arlington list?
(Please note that this is a new policy in an area where many people disagree, so this policy is likely to be revised a number of times before it settles down. Please check back again to see what revisions may have taken place.) People join the Arlington list, and stay despite the high volume and wide range of topics, because they are interested in the topic of Arlington. This policy provides guidance about how to stay on topic, and explains how the list manager handles threads that veer off topic. Staying on topic is often difficult, and it is understood that there can be no hard and fast rules that everyone would be able to apply exactly the same way and get exactly the same results. Instead, staying on topic requires good judgment, which comes only with practice. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you are writing a message. When you can answer “yes” to these questions, you are probably headed in the right direction. • “Is my message about Arlington?” If your message is very
