I think the single thing that impressed me about you was your visiting the state legislature. When I get settled in in Phoenix I hope to visit the state legislature and see what is going on first hand. ------------------------ Keith Smith --- On Sun, 8/2/09, Joshua Zeidner wrote: > From: Joshua Zeidner > Subject: Re: OT: Handling Politics the plug-discuss way? > To: phrkonaleash@gmail.com, "Main PLUG discussion list" > Date: Sunday, August 2, 2009, 10:35 PM > I think youre making mountains out > of molehills here... one of these > heated political discussions happens on average once a > month (if > that).  I think it adds to the variety and diversity > on this list.  It > would appear that these discussions compel new > participants, which is > a good thing for the list.  The level of articulation > for some of > these discussions is very high- its not just some crude > flame war.  I > don't think the noise is so much a problem as the ideas > presented or > perhaps vendettas against participants.  I mean god, a > few extra > emails in your inbox and the world is coming to an > end?  get over it. > >   Looking over some of my thoughts ... sorry if I come > off as > complaining about AZ.  Im just pointing out some of my > observations. > On the whole, I like it here- and my commitments to this > state have > recently gone up a bit.  This is the month however > when I hear > everyone say they hate it here... give it another month or > two and its > back to happy happy arizonans... that is once we get this > financial > crisis sorted out. > >   have a good week, > >    -jmz > > On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 10:20 PM, Ryan Rix > wrote: > > Group, > > > > Are these political discussions (examples: the second > half of Re: Guess > > What, when I relabelled unsuccesfully, and whatever > happened to the > > Geeky/entrepreneurial thread) detracting from the > point of this list (which > > is to discuss GNU/Linux and Free Software, and not > necessarily to discuss > > the economy, the government, or conspiracies about > whether or not our duly > > elected President was an American or not) and in > general daunting for people > > who may be new listers/Linuxers? > > > > Hans agrees with me (via a quick discussion in the IRC > channel) that these > > discussions in general detract from the list, and make > the non-political- > > flame-war discussions less active/less... what is the > word... visible, so I > > think that something should be done, or at least a > discussion should take > > place about it. > > > > I see a few options: > > 1) We leave it here and do nothing. Most email clients > have the ability to > > filter on subject/topic of a discussion, so those who > didn't want to > > see/deal with/get drug into these discussions could > easily filter them out. > > We could create a new topic heading, like we have for > OT: (politics: or > > something, when someone posts something politically > kinda sorta related), > > allowing those who want to take part in these > discussions to do so, while > > the others are safely shielded from them. The problem > with this is that new > > users will still see these discusions taking place, > which could, imo be very > > detrimental to their joining this community/getting > the help with a question > > they may need/just feeling comfortable. But of course, > this is easy enough > > to do and leaves the work for the users who don't like > said discussions to > > take care of. > > > > 2) Create another list for these mails. The problem > with this idea is that > > (imo) mailman has no easy way to control WHERE > messages between two > > different lists go, so I think that it could be hard > to transition between > > the two lists when a discussion does eventually go > OT-Political. This would > > rely mostly on the good will and rememberance of the > posters, which in the > > experience of the last few OT-Political threads has > given me the impression > > that this will NOT work. > > > > 3) We moderate OT threads. My personal opinion is that > the best way to keep > > flame wars down is to moderate. Not so much eliminate > the posts that may > > incite these political discussions but to put a long > enough delay on the > > posts that it hampers the quick > reply-reply-reply-reply that usually is what > > completely derails thoughtful discussion. If users are > given the instant > > chance to write a quick retort to a discussion and > have that instantly > > posted to a hundred people who may or may not have the > same idealogy > > basically causes a thread to go haywire in a matter of > hours. With a > > sufficient delay in these posts being sent to the > group, this haywiring can > > be pushed out to a day or two, hopefully alleviating > any flame wars which > > may develop. Most of the wars that take place on p-d > are about a day or two > > long at most anyways. > > > > 4) We forbid it. I think that this is the WORST > option, but an option > > nonetheless. I am not in favor of censorship at all, > but if things get bad > > enough we could do this. It would probably have to > fall back to #3. > > > > My personal preference is #3, but that gives someone > an extra job, and I > > don't think Hans should have to do it himself. A board > of moderators be > > elected perhaps? Is there any way to crowdsource it? > If this was a forum > > rather than a mailing list (which I don't support at > all!) we could add a > > score/rating system, but I don't think that this is > possible via e-mail. > > > > Thanks and best, > > Ryan Rix > > > > -- > > --- > > Ryan Rix > > (623)-826-0051 > > > > * LG loves czech girls. > > LG: do they have additional > interesting "features" other girls > > don't have? ;) > >        -- #Debian > > > > http://hackersramblings.wordpress.com | > http://twitter.com/phrkonaleash > > XMPP: phrkonaleash@gmail.com >          | MSN: phrkonaleash@yahoo.com > > AIM:  phrkonaleash                    | > Yahoo: phrkonaleash > > IRC:  PhrkOnLsh@irc.freenode.net/#srcedit,#teensonlinux,#plugaz > and > >      countless other FOSS channels. > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > 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