List history request

["Jimmy Page" <jimmy.page@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm new-ish to the list but have read lots of
back digests.  My question is about how this
list came about and the death of the previous list.

>From what I gather the previous list owner became
rather dictatorial, what triggered him?

Could someone give a potted history (2/3 lines) to
fill in us latecomers.

Thanks