When you say: “I thought it was more than probable the vast majority of readers here would be familiar with me,” you imply a static readership for this list serve, or at least a monotonic one. I don’t think either of those things would be good for this, or most other list serves with an agenda to change minds. New people will frequently be coming into the community and their very diversity may be one of their greatest values.
Voldemort is a fictional character from one of the most popular novel and movie series in the last 20 years (of which one of the top posters of this site is writing a fanfiction). I don’t think it’s too much to expect almost all english speakers with an internet connection who might have an interest in this site to have at least heard of him, regardless of whether we have a “static readership”.
When you say: “I thought it was more than probable the vast majority of readers here would be familiar with me,” you imply a static readership for this list serve, or at least a monotonic one. I don’t think either of those things would be good for this, or most other list serves with an agenda to change minds. New people will frequently be coming into the community and their very diversity may be one of their greatest values.
Voldemort is a fictional character from one of the most popular novel and movie series in the last 20 years (of which one of the top posters of this site is writing a fanfiction). I don’t think it’s too much to expect almost all english speakers with an internet connection who might have an interest in this site to have at least heard of him, regardless of whether we have a “static readership”.