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**** AT A GLANCE ****
Participation: 23 of 55 [42%]
Volume: 94 posts
Most discussed thread: "Price-Value Correlations"
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**** TOPICS DISCUSSED THIS MONTH ****
A. Thread discussed at *greatest* length (20 or more posts):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o PRICE-VALUE CORRELATIONS [continued from September; includes
"Humbug Aggregate Price-Value Correlations", "shift-share index",
"Response to Alan (Freeman)", "andrew: random profits"; "random
profits"; "In defense of correlation"; "Correlation again", and
"Deer-Hunting"] (-32- posts).
B. Thread discussed *at length* (10-19 posts):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o LUXURY GOODS AND PROFIT RATE [continued; includes "On confusions
due to consumption" and "Marx on post-production catastrophes"]
(16);
o LABOR PROCESS AND R&D LABOR (11).
C. *Other topics discussed* included:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o COMMODITY MONEY [related to discussions in previous months,
including the thread on "metal money" from June] (9);
o ADVERTISING IN MARX? [includes "Marx + advertising"];
o KARL MARX IN _THE NEW YORKER_;
o THE LABOUR OF CATS [out of "commodity money"; related to previous
discussions on abstract labour].
D. *Procedural Discussions*:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although a continuation of the discussion on the archives proposal
was anticipated for this month, it did not materialize. We still have
to come to a decision, yet there seems to be an impasse. Does anyone
have an idea for a compromise which would satisfy the concerns of
all?
E. *Miscellaneous*:
o EMAIL CLASS ABOUT MARX'S *CAPITAL* BY HANS EHRBAR [sent on 26th];
o MARX - DEAD BUT NOT BURIED [concerns new publication of
_Grundrisse_; sent by Michio on the 27th].
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OVERALL, although the quality of postings remained very high, October was
*another slow* month. With the exception of September, volume and
participation have been falling since mid-June. Undoubtably, we have to
factor in a "seasonal adjustment allowance" for the summer months.
Perhaps another reason for the slowdown was the loss of our "headers"
identification system on October 3. However, this can not entirely
explain the drop-off in October. If we consider other Octobers,
we can see a dramatic decrease in activity:
Participation Volume
October, 1995 19 of 29 (65.5%) 213
" , 1996 23 of 43 (53.5%) 380
" , 1997 23 of 55 (42%) 94
Why this is the trend, I don't know. Perhaps we have already discussed
most of the topics that listmembers want to discuss. Yet, it is hard to
believe that we can't discover new subjects to discuss. Let's see if we
can turn around this trend in November.
Hopefully, November will also see a return to our "headers" system and our
transitional problems with the "galaxy" server will cease.
Still ticking and
in solidarity, Jerry
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