On 2/3/19 6:01 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
(1) Taking the group discussion off-list should be done rarely, and
usually only for personal messages that shouldn't be shared
publically, or by mutual agreement for off-topic discussions.
I can't see Ned's original comment in either my inbox, or at the
archives, so it seems that he took the discussion off-list. I don't know
why. It doesn't strike me as either personal or off-topic, so taking it
off-list seems to be both unnecessary and a little rude to the rest of
the group -- why were the rest of us excluded?
But since Ned apparently intended to take it off-list, it is only polite
to respect that your reply.
(2) The long-standing tradition is to put "OFFLIST" at the *start* of
the subject line, not the end where it is easy to overlook.
To make it even more clear, we should explicitly state that the
message is off-list at the top of the message.
(Especially if you intend the message to be confidential.)
I replied to James privately because I felt that the question of
"Python's decline," and James' reasons for believing it to be so, were
not on-topic for a list about suggestions for improving Python. It also
seemed to me that it could easily devolve into an unproductive
discussion for such a large group. But, it was probably also of
interest to the group, many of whom were probably wondering the same
things I was, so I can see how it could have stayed in the list (where
it now is.)
It also seemed to me to be a topic which could easily result in James
feeling at a disadvantage, being on the other side of a subjective
debate from the bulk of the group. I had hoped to discuss it with him in
a setting that was less likely to get heated.
I didn't mean to be rude to anyone.
--Ned.
_______________________________________________
Python-ideas mailing list
Python-ideas@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas
Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
