ending unwanted threads

[Mike Schwartz]

> [...] 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 at acm.org

On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 7:45 PM, Bryan O'Neal <
Bryan.ONeal at theonealandassociates.com> 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 <alex at crackpot.org> 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
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