Parallel recollection syndrome

Let's say, for example, the Recycling group decides to clean up its email list, booting off people who are no longer active. This then actually happens. Months later when looking at the related (but different) Action email list, we see the same email addresses (the ones we booted out earlier).

"Wait a minute! Didn't we already agree to toss these emails off the list? I remember doing that!"

Actually the decision applied to a different list (recycling) not this one (action).

Sometimes parallel recollection syndrome is a good thing -- when it is used to apply principles consistently across multiple groups.

And sometimes it gets used to do things that are not desired. (A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. -- RWE)