> And yes, #kernelnewbies is kept on-topic by peer pressure, > the occasional channel admin typing a (short-lived) /ban; > most importantly, however, is the #offtopic channel, which > provides people with a good place to continue their offtopic > discussions ... if people want a discussion there's no way > you can stop it, but you can always move it ;)
I think in general once any list reaches a certain 'critical mass' (which may vary from list to list), it becomes increasingly difficult to eliminate Off-Topic conversation, and providing an alternative is seemingly the most effective way of dealing with it. One list which I help admin has what are regarded by some subscribers as 'draconian' rules on overquoting, use of language, staying on-topic, etc. However, a lot of the subscribers really appreciate the rules. We offer an alternative, as well; a 'shadow' list, where all the main posts are mirrored to and where off-topic replies can be continued free of administrative measures. People can subscribe to the main list, turn off mail for that one, and subscribe to the shadow list...then they can post to either. Since the main list is mirrored to the shadow list, it's easy to reply to a post from the main list and move it onto shadow. Since the shadow list was created, I've seen a lot less complaints about how the main list's on-topic nature is enforced. :) -- Rachel Blackman
