actually, to be more accurate for this list, OT should designate something that actually has to do with FOSS. ha ha! On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 5:00 PM, Bryan O'Neal < Bryan.ONeal@theonealandassociates.com> wrote: > Can we please just start using the OT: header in the subject line? > > On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 4:56 PM, Mike Schwartz wrote: > >> [...] please just reply [...] > >> [...] with an empty message body [...] > > I agree with this idea / suggestion from Alex Dean. > > For one thing, I agree that some of the more "heated" discussions, > probably > > should take place -- [if at all], -- in some other forum. (outside any > PLUG > > list). > > But even if someone should "happen" to hold the opposite viewpoint on > that > > "matter of opinion", the fact remains that sending a message with a blank > > body, is NOT MUCH of an imposition by the sender, on the time of the > > potential reader. In fact, NO MORE -- (probably less!) -- than when > > compared with an instance of the sending of an "OT: " message that is > adding > > to the length of some thread that is tiresome to certain PLUG-Discuss > > participants. > > To add to the advantages of that suggestion from Alex Dean, it does not > > require any exercising of judgment by some admin with special list > > supervising privileges, such as some << power to retroactively prefix the > > string "OT: " to the start of the "Subject: " header title of some > existing > > thread >>, nor any hardware / software features that we do not already > have, > > nor any organizational "committees" or group structures that we do not > > already have, -- and it is fairly easy to do. > > Technically, I guess the [allegedly] offending mis-users of the "space / > > time" on PLUG-Discuss, are even free to ignore the "advice", and to keep > > their "OT: " thread right here on PLUG-Discuss, -- [for a while!] -- if > they > > think it is right / necessary to do so. ...but if there are repeated > blank > > messages, then eventually readers might start contacting them OFF LIST, > to > > try to persuade / "encourage" them to relent. > > The ["die hard"] thread participants [if any], could also feel free to > move > > the thread to some "unobtrusive" place, like alt.flame or > something, where > > any reader who happens upon it, is asking for it; but at least, they do > have > > the option of continuing their thread without bothering > those PLUG-Discuss > > readers who have "hinted" that they are tired of a given thread. > > (for practical purposes, maybe just moving a given thread "off-list", and > > using e-mail between those who want to continue the thread, might be a > > better choice. But I do not expect to be one of the die hards .. :-) > > As has been noted in the past, there might be some newcomers, who might > be > > impressionable, and we might not want to scare them away. They might > > be newcomers to Linux / FLOSS, as well as to PLUG-Discuss. Having a way > to > > politely suggest that the participants in a given thread, can continue > > the thread "somewhere else" -- but, we "hope", not in PLUG-Discuss -- > could > > prove to be a convenient and useful way of "hinting" and getting that > > message across -- without having to do a lot of typing (oops, am I > setting a > > bad example with *this* message? ...) and without even "seeming" to be > > un-fairly "discriminating" for or against either side of the "OT: " > > [[debate]] -- INCLUDING even by the choice of "when" the thread should > get > > moved (even e.g. right after some supposedly "un-deserving" opponent, has > > just gotten the last word that was "before the move".) > > So -- (bottom line:) -- GOOD IDEA. > > -- > > Mike Schwartz > > Glendale AZ > > schwartz@acm.org > > On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 7:45 PM, Bryan O'Neal > > wrote: > >> > >> Please use the OT subject prefix - Please filter on the OT subject > >> prefix - Please reduce the total number of OT threads. > >> > >> Personally - I find the discussions interesting and 1 out of every 5 > >> or 10 posts may actually teach me something I did not know on the > >> subject. As such I get sucked in just as much if not worst then most > >> so, as a flame fanner, I feel I should agree that this is not the best > >> forum. > >> > >> On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Alex Dean wrote: > >> > I don't take any position on the flood of various ideas which have > been > >> > flowing through this list lately. If anything, I've been just hoping > it > >> > would subside and I can go back to expecting that this list will be > >> > mainly > >> > about free software again. Occasional political posting? No problem. > >> > Vehement political arguments? Pointless. Nobody ever convinced > anyone > >> > of > >> > anything by arguing via email. I end up feeling a bit powerless in > the > >> > face > >> > of a wave of trollery which doesn't seem likely to subside any time > >> > soon. > >> > > >> > So here's what I propose : If you are tired of these off topic > postings, > >> > and > >> > want them to cease, please just reply to the "ditching Apple due to > >> > boycotts" thread with an empty message body. Leave the subject, but > >> > empty > >> > the body. This should be a clear, but polite, way to note to the > thread > >> > participants you'd rather they take the discussion elsewhere. > >> > > >> > Lest I be called indifferent, ignorant, or whatever, I will say I care > >> > about > >> > the issues being discussed. Absolutely. I have my opinions about the > >> > topics at hand, but I don't believe an email list is a productive > place > >> > to > >> > make those opinions known. All the current climate on this list does > is > >> > discourage me. > >> > > >> > Perhaps no one else cares for my suggestion, but I feel like something > >> > needs > >> > to be said lest we lose this list entirely to the trolls. So, if > you're > >> > tired of this, reply to the "ditching Apple due to boycotts" thread > with > >> > an > >> > empty message. Make your (very quiet) voice known! :) > >> > > >> > alex > >> > --------------------------------------------------- > >> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> > > >> --------------------------------------------------- > >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >