RE: Staying on topic (polite, plaintive plea

[Carl Distefano CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx]

Reply to notes from Tom Robertson  Thu, 27 Nov 97
12:26:05 +0000, Phil Smith  Thu, 27 Nov
97 12:18:25 +0000, et al.

-> May I suggest that we agree on a special heading for
-> digressions? "Politics"? "Digression"? Something that will tell
-> non-digressers to skip that msg. [P.Smith]

-> So I say, have at it, with proper Subject identification so
-> readers can separate the talk from the tech. [T.Robertson]

Good idea. Rather than an invariable Subject header, I'd propose
establishing a standard identifier ("OFF-TOPIC", "OJC", whatever) to
be included in the Subject line of all off-topic posts. A standard,
perhaps even case-sensitive identifier would make it a matter of
ease for list members not desiring to read such posts to filter them
out. (Many, if not most, mail programs have the ability to delete on
the server any messages containing a specified string.) Using the
identifier would amount to the author's consent (and the consent of
anyone replying to the message using the same Subject line) to have
their posts so treated. It would also put the onus on repliers who
change the subject to write a new Subject description or risk being
ignored by a portion of the list. Needless to say, the familiar
rules of etiquette would still apply. Gratuitous diatribes on
global warming or endless debates on tangential matters would not be
condoned by dubbing them "off-topic".

Second?


--------------
Carl Distefano
CLDistefano@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/