On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 20:50:15 +0800, David Palmer wrote:
> I have seen what I believe is a need for an additional mailing list, not
> so much for the benefit of the developers' list, but most definitely for
> the sake of sanity on debian-user. I have posted to curiosain
> recognition of their patience with an O.T. situation.
>
[snip]
>
>
> As a migration point for O.T. threads that are creating a
> distraction within the main lists. There are two aspects to
> this:-
>
> (1). The distracting, disruptive influence just stated, and
>
> (2). The carry over and clutter created within the corresponding
> archive. The last thing a busy admin needs when a server is
> down, and she requires the answer to a problem, is to have to
> wade through a tide of irrelevant flotsam and jetsam. Having the
> facility of a list of this nature would have the effect of
> really cleaning up the archives.
>
> Non productive O.T. threads could, with the consensus of three
> other list members (to avoid personality clash scenarios) for
> example, could be migrated to the proposed list, leaving the
> main list to proceed productively, maintaining the integrity of
> the archive. If the thread becomes too off the wall for the new
> list, and after an initial negotiation fails, the
> personality(ies) could be unsubscribed. I believe the new list
> could be as productively essential as any other in its' own way,
> I do not see it as the dumping ground for the collective Debian
> effluviant, just a little further down the alimentary tract
> perhaps ;
>
[snip]
So, you are wanting debian-user to become a moderated list, basically.
What if there are three other list members who *don't* want the thread to
be migrated?
I think that the whole idea is unworkable, and, anyway, for the most part,
I enjoy the OT threads, although I resist (mostly) the temptation to add
to them.
If one is an admin with a critical server down, maybe one ought to be
engaging the services of a support professional. (I know they're
not your exact words, but "Critical server down" implies a business or
commercial service, and one maybe shouldn't be relying on free advice to
support that.)
The idea of moderating a list by the "three people don't like the thread"
method, and of moving threads, and of banning people, smacks of bullying
to me, and will almost certainly generate more heat than light, as people
gang up against one another. I bet that one could find three people to
move a thread or ban a subscriber based simply on length or content of a
sig. Someone has already posted that they consider all sigs as "spam".
And the volume of posts arguing about the usefulness or topicality of
threads will probably be greater than the volume of OT threads anyway.
I think the solution to the "server down, need answer NOW" issue is:
1. Ask on the #debian IRC channel
2. Get better at refining Google searches.
3. Use professional support services.
--
....................paul
"Do the little things" ("Gwnewch y pethau bychain")
St. David (Dewi Sant) of Wales, last sermon, Sunday 27th February 589
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