[ale] New Mailing List initiatives for ALE

[James Sumners]

I think moderation as you are proposing is absolutely the worst way to
go. Greg already pointed out the biggest problems with that idea. It
is slow and will probably drive more people away than it brings in.
Don't get me wrong; my head might actually explode if I see one more
useless "Ping!OMFG IM NOT GETTING EMAIL!" thread. But leaving it up to
one, or a handful of people, as to what gets through and what doesn't
is not the solution.

I like the idea of the [ale-chat] where people can send whatever
blather they wish. But I think a better solution for the current [ale]
is passive moderation. There needs to be a clearly defined ruleset of
what is, and is not, acceptible; there currently is not. This list
needs to be sent to every new registrant in the the "are you really a
person" email with the confirm link at the very bottom of the email.
It should also be easily found on the web site. When the occasional
"ping", "who likes cake?", or off-topic/off-thread email comes
through, a moderator should then send that person a private email
reminding them of the rules (ccing the other moderators), and letting
them know that further infractions could mean a forced unsubscribe
from the list.

We could also use a page detailing the informal ettiqutte we (try to)
use. Stuff like using clear and descriptive subject lines. And keeping
the email down to one or two problems at a time. Maybe linking to
ESR's how to ask questions HOWTO. That sort of thing.

And finally, to tell the truth. If I have to go out of my way to sign
up for the list I originally signed up for (that would be the one you
are suggeting be brutally moderated), I doubt I will go through the
hassle. I signed up to help people out with interesting Linux problems
and get help with my own. There hasn't been much of that going around
in quite a while, so it really wouldn't be worth it for me to
re-sign-up again if I were forced into a list that is, by design, a
gigantic mess.

-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59