I just want to say that I find value in everything I read here, OT or not. IMHO, OT postings are not generally a problem unless they erupt into a flame war. As a personal rule, I limit my OT postings to one or two responses per topic - Say what you have to say, but don't persue the matter.

OT postings can be relevent if they express why we use Linux as our OS of preference: cost effective value, freedom of choice, anti-monopoly, superior performance, the chance to enhance our own skills and advance our knowledge, the spirit of Independence, etc. Like it or not, these issues are just as much a part of GNU/Linux as the kernel itself.

Just my 2 cents.

Stu

On Tuesday 10 May 2005 19:41, Jerry Davis wrote:

> On Tuesday 10 May 2005 09:28 am, Bill Earl wrote:

> > Alan Dayley wrote:

> > >While many times interesting, I must say that the off-topic posts are

> > >getting a bit much.

> >

> > I agree. Political discussions that include the word "linux" a few times

> > aren't why I subscribed to this list.

>

> Yet if you are passionate about linux, and equally as passionate against

> the evil empire from redmond, you cannot help but post possibly OT items of

> a political nature when it relates to FOSS.

>

> You know I get "spammed" in snail mail too. Do you know what I do with

> that? I throw it away (delete it) -- so I just mark it read and/or delete

> them from the folder. So it is not that bad. I just enjoy all the rest of

> the posts.

>

> > >So, I have started a discussion among the Steering Committee to see if

> > > we want to crank up a plug-misc or plug-whatever list to handle

> > > "non-linux" traffic. In the mean time, I, as one PLUG member, vote it

> > > is time we get back to discussing PLUG/Linux/FS/OSS stuff here in this

> > > list.

> >

> > Thank you Alan. Thank you VERY much. And has been pointed out, the off

> > topic posters don't seem to realize or care how far off topic they get,

> > so I'd suggest maybe instead of trying to steer them elsewhere, perhaps

> > a new list more specific for linux questions or linux technical info

> > would be a better answer. That way people would have a resource for

> > asking questions about linux, and getting linux news. With a more

> > specific purpose defined it might be easier to keep that list under

> > control.

> >

> > I'd also vote for a moderated list, but the problem there is, as always,

> > who has time to moderate it?

> >

> > But again, thanks for bringing this up. It's, well, annoying to search

> > through the messages looking for linux info.

> >

> > Bill

> >

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