At 4:15 PM -0400 5/20/01, Chuq Von Rospach is rumored to have typed:
> you you, charlie -- if you tried, you could be even more judgemental
> about this. This is just the kind of "if you don't do it exactly like I
> think it ought to be done, you're an idiot" kind of message that makes
> this place such fun...
Of course I could be more judgemental. But should I ever desire a lesson,
I need look no further than _your_ archived posts.
That said, although I don't deny I personally find unstructured lists
bothersome and unsubscribe from them at my earliest opportunity, it doesn't
affect whatsoever my base point, and the fact that both of you need to
desperately ignore that pretty much bears me out. We are spending time
arguing about what _kind_ of viral message should/should not be distributed,
while completely ignoring that the only thing that really matters is the
_venue_ for the distribution. Either it is on-topic for the list (whatever
list it might be) or it isn't...doesn't seem to be too many shades of grey
there, and any that exist should be dealt with by the listmaster of whatever
specific list we're talking about. Examples: if I determine that they are
off-topic for a list I operate dealing with Nostalgic Television, because
they do not fit the charter of the list, then those messages should not be
distributed on that list, and subscribers should be discouraged from posting
them. If you decide that they _are_ on-topic for a list you operate, even if
the list discusses wedding dresses or kick boxing, then knock yourself out
and run them - that they are permitted suggests that you believe them to be
on-topic.
It's really all a matter of what the list (and by extention the
listmaster) expects from its subscribers.
I honestly don't much care how you (or anyone else) runs their list, and I
certainly wouldn't waste the word, "idiot" on someone who doesn't run a list
the way I do; if I want a more focused discussion about whatever the list
topic is than a given listmaster provides, I'll simply go elsewhere (lord
knows nowadays everyone and their _dog_ runs a mailing list on Yahoo! or
Topica), while those who desire a non-focused, what I might call rambling,
discussion will stay on that list I have vacated. But each listmaster _must_
make the determination as to whether these specific types of postings fit his
or her list. Making bizarre points that on some lists anything goes (which by
definition suggests that the viral postings _are_ on-topic, what being part
of "anything" and all), or that you don't like the _way_ I make the point
(which only goes to show I must be on to something if you had to avoid it and
blindly curmudgeon simply to maintain your reputation), is irrelevant to my
point.
Charlie
