On 4/24/05, Dakota Jack <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have noticed that there is a lot of cross-posting to MyFaces and > Struts. Is that an exception in the rules, or do I not understand the > difference. I am not trying to start anything but just trying to get > some grasp of what the rules are, since I have had a difficult time > figuring out what they are. Thanks for any clarity on this.
The rules are really an etiquette. For example, it's generally considered rude to eavesdrop. But, sometimes, depending on the circumstances, you do overhear something, and, sometimes, it's considered polite to offer information regarding something you overheard. Other times, what appears to be the same activity is considered rude. The main thing is to always be sensitive of other people's time. It's rude to crosspost a question to several different lists just because the poster doesn't know where to post it or is impatient. The polite thing is to pick a list and follow the guidelines for asking good questions. If that list is not the right forum, then someone is likely to suggest a better forum. There are times when a subject falls through the cracks, and even the best of us find themselves crossposting. After a few exchanges, the best list for the thread will emerge, and someone will suggest keeping the thread there. Since Struts is an integrating technology, it's not uncommon for a thread to affect more than one dev list. In the past, when a technology is first being developed, we've shared threads with Velocity Dev, Commons Dev, among others. So long as there is sufficient interest by both communities, and the thread is clearly tagged, it is not considered an aggregious sin. [At least until someone complains :)] In this instance, a MyFaces developers asked a Struts Shale question on the MyFaces dev list. Craig crossposted the response to keep the Shale developers in the loop. The MyFaces thread does include a reminder to post to Struts Dev first, and I'm sure in the future that is what will happen. When crossposting is most likely to cause complaint is when there are two similar but different lists. The classic example being the user and dev lists for a given project or subproject. Many people will already subscribe to both lists and receiving duplicate posts is redundant and annoying. If one is unsure, the accepted practice is to start with the (more-general) user list, but be ready to move the thread to the (more-specific) dev list if asked. The point to keep in mind is that the lists are communities and gathering places. The same type of rules apply to lists as apply to meetings and conventions. Two people can do what seems like the same thing, but one person is considered polite and the other not. As with anything else, often is not what you say, but how you say it. In political gatherings, people often use phrases like "my esteemed colleague" and "with all due respect" when they are about to disagree. The reason this is done is because hard experience has taught us that such phrases soften the blow and cool tempers. In online forums, we use phrases like "IMHO" for the same reason. If anyone is aware of a particularly good netiquete link, we could add it to the mailing list page, along side of Asking Questions the Smart Way. HTH, Ted. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
