Table 6.

Listowner facilitation roles

Role	Description
Modeling appropriate Behavior	We try to model appropriate behavior by offering praise and thanks off-list to those members who have been helpful to others. While we don't “coordinate” these efforts, we do copy each other on our private messages to members so that there is less chance of overlap/duplication. I think we also “model” appropriate list behavior with our own posts to the list (by, for example, staying on topic, trimming prior text, and the like). (ES, personal communication, November 10, 2005)
Keeping discussion focused on cancer-related topics	We also try to limit humor and cute stories as much as possible, because while some people like them, there are other venues for that and they take up a lot of space. Anyhow, they irritate all three listowners and it isn’t a democracy ;-). (DB, personal communication, November 11, 2005)
Enforcing group norms	I do occasionally send out private messages to individuals that have posted inappropriate material…. Usual causes for personal messages are posts containing personal attacks of individuals, expressions of inflammatory political opinion, commercial content, etc. Haven’t seen any controversial religious stuff in quite a while. I do feel that when the discussion establishes at a level of higher quality that it tends to sustain itself and little intervention is need on my part. If an eccentric individual begins posting inappropriate or provocative material, this tends to invite response, and dialog can deteriorate. (CC, personal communication, October 28, 2004)