Anthony wrote:
On Sat, Jul 5, 2008 at 6:50 AM, Mark Williamson
<node.ue(a)gmail.com> wrote:
The latter. We are trying to give a hint to
people who post "too much"
that perhaps they should cut back a little, without actually being all
up in their business and being all like "HEY YOU STFU", you know?
A convincing discussion as to what's wrong with posting "too much"
would work much better. So far it seems to come down to people not
having decent e-mail readers and people who think that lowering the
number of posts is somehow going to magically increase the quality.
As for the latter belief, I've seen mailing lists try this, and I've
never seen it work.
If a group of you want to go off and start a new mailing list with
(soft or hard) posting limits, feel free. You have my full support.
Anthony
I comprehensively endorse this view. I was personally quite
astonished to read the view by one major wikimedia actor that
they thought the foundation list should contract into a more
thoughtful and rarely loquacious medium. By some magic not
specified.
I would not have been so surprised if the person in question
had not for long coasted on a reputation of being an alumni
of the early intarweb. I guess there is a difference if you
experience the web as a peon, and if you experience it as a
mailing list moderator.
I have made reference to this before, and I certainly don't
wish to make reference to it frequently in times to come.
The documented case of a discussion medium being rescued
from collapsing under off-topic and otherwise tedious talk,
without parallel, is clearly that which James D. Nicoll was
able (and yes, he has a wikipedia article, though perhaps
just as much because of the quote that has been so oft
attributed to Booker T. Washington et alia, but I digress...)
to accomplish.
What is needed can be done by a very limited number of people.
I suppose I could do it all by myself, if there were enough
people who thought it worthwhile to respond to my postings of
a non-contentious but philosophic nature, purely for the intent
of drowning out contentious without thoughtfulness chatter.
Yours,
Jussi-Ville Heiskanen