Changing the names of threads
Dear colleagues, When responding to previous emails on EcoLog, why do respondents keep = changing the names of the threads??? For the benefit of this community, = could those who respond to emails not change the subject lines, even if = they feel that the conversation has taken a turn and the subject heading = is no longer applicable? In the end, these subject line are often the = result of bickering that should be handled in personal emails, not to = the entire listserv. **PLEASE** keep the same subject line if you are = responding to a previous posting on Ecolog. Yeah, I know, this simple request will turn into 8,000 responses that = will quickly have nothing to do with this simple request... Best regards, Brian --- L. Brian Patrick Ph.D. Candidate Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent, OH 44242 USA
Re: Changing the names of threads
It's standard protocol on other listservs to change the subject line if the subject has changed within a thread. Many times you'll have a thread take a complete different turn and people who may have been tuning OUT that thread may be suddenly interested. I change it IF I am taking on a new topic/subtopic and that way when someone replies to that specific post, I know they're replying to my new post, and not someone else's post. I don't always have time to read everything but I do read the posts that reply specifically to my comments. It can be overwhelming to keep up with everything but I appreciate the replies to my comments so I like to save them. I'm not debating the merits of this versus your request, I'm just answering the question of why I personally change the subject line. What I do is keep the new and the old titles so people can know it's a new twist on the old subject. Ie. Hunting/was XYZ. I think this is a good option. Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Nature Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of L. Brian Patrick Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:29 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Changing the names of threads Dear colleagues, When responding to previous emails on EcoLog, why do respondents keep = changing the names of the threads??? For the benefit of this community, = could those who respond to emails not change the subject lines, even if = they feel that the conversation has taken a turn and the subject heading = is no longer applicable? In the end, these subject line are often the = result of bickering that should be handled in personal emails, not to = the entire listserv. **PLEASE** keep the same subject line if you are = responding to a previous posting on Ecolog. Yeah, I know, this simple request will turn into 8,000 responses that = will quickly have nothing to do with this simple request... Best regards, Brian --- L. Brian Patrick Ph.D. Candidate Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent, OH 44242 USA
Re: Changing the names of threads
Changing the subject line seems reasonable if the original subject line no longer applies to the posting, as often happens. Quite a few recent postings on conservation have nothing to do with hunting, so why should we continue to keep calling them hunting and conservation? It is nice to follow threads, but sometimes it is better to do so by reading the postings instead of using a threaded reader. It is hard enough to get people to use appropriae subject ines anyway, without criticising them for changing them. If someone posts how do I get off this damned list? by replying to some unrelated posting, do you really want them to keep the subject line? Bill Silvert - Original Message - From: L. Brian Patrick [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 2:29 PM Subject: Changing the names of threads Dear colleagues, When responding to previous emails on EcoLog, why do respondents keep = changing the names of the threads??? For the benefit of this community, = could those who respond to emails not change the subject lines, even if = they feel that the conversation has taken a turn and the subject heading = is no longer applicable? In the end, these subject line are often the = result of bickering that should be handled in personal emails, not to = the entire listserv. **PLEASE** keep the same subject line if you are = responding to a previous posting on Ecolog. Yeah, I know, this simple request will turn into 8,000 responses that = will quickly have nothing to do with this simple request... Best regards, Brian
Listserve Message management Subject line protocol Re: Changing the names of threads
Good points. I change names of threads so that if I later want to research the topic there is some logic to the subject line thread identifier and I can find it by subject hierarchy rather than trying to remember some title in which the first word of the subject line does not bear a primary relationship to the subject. I have changed the subject line on this message to illustrate the concept. Notice that I always retain the original subject line after my new title. This system also permits branching of a thread by secondary subject identifiers. This is not perfect, but when I want to search for a thread, all I have to do is to click on the subject field and violá! I have the entire history, neatly lined up, with the branches grouped together, theoretically, I suppose, to an infinite number of branches and messages. The original subject line always remains as in Re: changes . . . Others are always welcome to, and often do, change the subject line at will or delete my heading. There may be a better way to go than this. I welcome discussion on the subject and any suggestions . WT At 10:18 AM 8/16/2007, WENDEE HOLTCAMP wrote: It's standard protocol on other listservs to change the subject line if the subject has changed within a thread. Many times you'll have a thread take a complete different turn and people who may have been tuning OUT that thread may be suddenly interested. I change it IF I am taking on a new topic/subtopic and that way when someone replies to that specific post, I know they're replying to my new post, and not someone else's post. I don't always have time to read everything but I do read the posts that reply specifically to my comments. It can be overwhelming to keep up with everything but I appreciate the replies to my comments so I like to save them. I'm not debating the merits of this versus your request, I'm just answering the question of why I personally change the subject line. What I do is keep the new and the old titles so people can know it's a new twist on the old subject. Ie. Hunting/was XYZ. I think this is a good option. Wendee ~~ Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. Wildlife Ecology Freelance Writer * Photographer * Bohemian http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist http://thefishwars.blogspot.com ~~ Online Nature Writing Course Starts Sep 15. Sign Up Now! -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of L. Brian Patrick Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:29 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Changing the names of threads Dear colleagues, When responding to previous emails on EcoLog, why do respondents keep = changing the names of the threads??? For the benefit of this community, = could those who respond to emails not change the subject lines, even if = they feel that the conversation has taken a turn and the subject heading = is no longer applicable? In the end, these subject line are often the = result of bickering that should be handled in personal emails, not to = the entire listserv. **PLEASE** keep the same subject line if you are = responding to a previous posting on Ecolog. Yeah, I know, this simple request will turn into 8,000 responses that = will quickly have nothing to do with this simple request... Best regards, Brian --- L. Brian Patrick Ph.D. Candidate Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent, OH 44242 USA
