[PLUG] What is on-topic
Russell Senior
seniorr at aracnet.com
Thu May 30 20:46:34 UTC 2002
>>>>> "RE" == Russell Evans <revans at e-z.net> writes:
RS> In the past I have asked for some positive statement of what is
RS> on-topic. The answer I've received has more-or-less uniformly
RS> been that on-topic is whatever people don't complain about. I
RS> personally don't find this satisfying.
RE> My personal experience is that when lists are rigidly defined,
RE> that new postings asking about the same old questions, are
RE> ignored.
Just to clarify: when I say I don't find it satisfying, I mean to say
that if "on-topic" means the list is principally for technical
questions and discussion, then we ought to say that. Some people seem
to assume that, but others think there is a much broader definition of
on-topic. People refer to the need for list participants to be
"reasonable" and get annoyed when participants, in their estimation,
are not. To hold someone to a "reasonable" standard, to be fair, you
need to provide something on which to base the "reason".
I am not _for_ rigidity. I am for giving people a basis for acting
reasonably, as a way of minimizing wasteful friction. That's all.
--
Russell Senior ``The two chiefs turned to each other.
seniorr at aracnet.com Bellison uncorked a flood of horrible
profanity, which, translated meant, `This is
extremely unusual.' ''
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