At 01:12 PM 6/27/99 -0400, murr rhame wrote:
><snip>I used to
>quickly to make a public reply to any on-list mention of list policy.
>Lately, I'm more likely to see how the group discussion goes before I
>decide if a public announcement is needed.
I am quite pleased that the two lists I'm directly involved in (2000
and 200 subscribers) are petty much self-correcting. If an off-topic
thread continues for a day or two, someone invariably jumps in to
remind the list that it's off topic.
In one case this past week on the larger list, one fellow began
filing an early-morning poem each day. He is very creative and
the poetry is quite well-done. Many expressed their thanks, saying
it brightened their mornings when they logged on. But it was off-topic!
I suggesed that he try to wax poetic with on-topic subjects; he said
this was too creatively limiting. Based on the public response, he
publicly agreed to file the poetry privately to anyone who requests.
The smaller list that I administer also is generally self-correcting,
or the problem peters out after a few days. Off-topic posts are rare.
I stay out of it unless it's to correct factual errors or to cut
off personal derision. Even then, I try to do it with a smile. Only
once in two years have I sent a major public post strongly reminding
subscribers of list policy; at that time, I also unilatterally
instituted a policy that I would unsubscribe a person at least
temporarily if he refused to comply with a private warning. This
I made general, and did not specifically refer to the offending
posters. No one objected to the new provision -- and I have never
had to use it.
(I do post quit a bit to my own list, but those usually do not
involve list policy or list operation. It happens that I also post
a lot of informational material about activities of our organization.)
So, I get the impression here that any problems with off-topic
discussions or list policy on my list are relatively minor. Maybe
that's because the list is comprised of many people who know each
other as individuals and often see each other at twice-yearly
conventions, rather than just being e-mail addresses out there in
cyberspace.
jim styer, PioNet operator
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
