From: Neil E. Amrhein (neil@compu-powr.com)
Date: Fri Jul 09 2004 - 08:40:10 PDT
> Really, the best thing to ask for is that folks
> trim their posts and change subject lines. I've
> been on the Internet since '90 and I learned long
> ago that OT post are a given, unless every post
> is moderated by the list mod and those lists tend
> to be very dry.
Well, I've only been alive for 31 years (and on the internet since 1990, as well), but I learned long ago that people are going to steal, cheat, etc.... even though it is not right and against the law. I still have not figured out how that makes it right, though.
I am a member of many mailing lists and forums. Some lists I have unsubscribed from because they became a chat room for the political news of the day. Many lists are left to self-moderate, and almost all have some sort of off-topic thread going at any given time, but that does not make it appropriate. If the list is dry because a moderator is strict, then the people reading the list don't have to worry about getting 30 emails a day that they don't want, because they are discussing the current CNN news stories.
The problem, as I see it, is that a mailing list becomes a big group of "friends", and friends don't usually decide to talk about subject X and nothing else. Therefore, it requires a good amount of discipline to prevent posting off-topic stuff. Additionally, I think there are many people who get "excited" to receive and send email of any type and, thus, use the list sort of like their address book. But, a little discipline goes a long way....
P.S. Al Gore doesn't think that off-topic posts are appropriate either, and he *invented* the internet!! You should be grateful he is letting you play in his playground...
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