TL;DR Can anyone suggest of a better way of publicly logging thanks, hellos & goodbyes for our public email lists?
BACKGROUND Wikimedia lists are probably unique in the number of emails over a year which 'thankspam'. For example there is a pattern set that an awful lot of chapter representatives send public welcomes and goodbyes without conveying any new information. Sometimes when my email notifier shows about ten of these on the same day, I've made the effort to block that thread, I don't know of a way of specifically muting the notifications for these types of emails on my mobile phone.
Though everyone could chose to send these privately rather than making a public statement, I understand the motivation for "us too"s to be noticed by others who are not the intended 'thanked'. On email lists something like ensuring thank email subject lines have a formulaic part of the title would help, so that readers can choose to mute them; equivalent to marking "minor" or "bot" edits on our projects so they don't get flagged in recent changes.
This thought stirred by Ad's email, but not against the sentiment he was aiming for.
PS For those that recall my meta thanks reports, I hope to get this online again soon once a related phabricator task is resolved.
Fae
On 13 January 2016 at 09:21, Ad Huikeshoven ad@wikimedia.nl wrote: ...
I failed to welcome incoming directors to the board of the Wikimedia Foundation and I failed to thank outgoing directors of the same board for the time and effort they have spent.
- that you are sorry about the harm/damage/waste/confusion your mistake
caused (being specific would demonstrate understanding);
I'm sorry for this unpolite and rude behavior.
...