Hi Mike,
I understand what you're getting at however I think you need to invert the way you're looking at it and see the increasing volume of quality posts as well.
Personally, I think this is a great list and yes there are times when I think this or that post could have held off posting. However, I've equally enjoyed seeing the struggles others are going through and the help they are given. In the end IMPLEMENTATION is what this is all about, I've no interest in joining a list for the academic discussion of standards such as I'd expect say a W3C list to be. I'm on this list for the "gimme something I can use" basis and on that score there is almost too much. I think the phrase "can't make an omelette without cracking eggs" applies here, realistically there has to be some less on topic posts as part of any community.
If as you say your real concern is email volume then I think you need to ask if that's the right motivation. I don't see any issue with simply filtering WSG mail into a mailbox and scanning it picking out anything interesting. Besides I don't see this list as high volume, for example, I found the flashcoders list overwhelming even in digest form!
I think it's good you pointed out those alternative lists and I do agree that if all someone is doing is posting on the list once a month to ask how to position this or that then that's not really discussing web standards. On the other hand if we can watch them solve this then that issue and the discussions/decisions surrounding that, then we see the final result then that is relevant. I just think realistically you cannot expect that from all posts.
If it were a list on house building standards how off topic would a discussion about bricklaying be? In the end there are guidelines in place and it's a simple matter of re-routing when necessary. So possibly what you're really asking for is a firmer enforcement of the list guidelines.
Anyway, no flames here, just my thoughts,
Nick
ok, so at the risk of getting flamed :) ....
I'm writing about what the purpose of this list is. I've found it to be a very good resource and fully support the idea of promoting the understanding and use of web standards.
What I've been struggling with over the past 2/3 months though is the increasing volume of posts concerned with what I'd call "how-to" matters. Questions about getting something to work with CSS, or about needing help with a web-related problem. These, and answers to them, have far and away made up the bulk of posts to the list.
If the purpose of this list is to answer these questions, then that's fine. But personally I'd probably unsubscribe as the volume is just too much. There are excellent lists already out there: css-discuss <http://www.css-discuss.org/> webdesign-L <http://webdesign-L.com/>
that are set up for this type of help.
I don't think we should try and duplicate what they do. Rather, I think this list is much more valuable discussing web standards, promoting them, commenting on them, sharing resources, educating each other etc etc
What do others think about this?
I have emailed Russ about this, and he was of the view that the list members of the list community should set the rules for posting, topics of discussion etc, and also that he was happy for me to post to the list about this and get feedback etc.
I guess that my main concern is drowning under weight of emails! I'm on the two lists mentioned above and really don't want to be on another duplicating what they do. But I do want to be on a list discussing web standards.
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