Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Is this list unmoderated?

|OFF TOPIC|

Hello James,

On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 16:28:06 -0700 (PDT) Plino said:

> > I guess some of the off-topic can be annoying but that is the price of
> > freedom of speech ;)

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 11:05:45 +0200 (your time) you replied:

> This is exactly the situation.

Well, I certainly wasn't aware that FOS was actually the issue... or 'the
price' one must pay.

Moderating a list to ensure that the reason for its existence is maintained
is a act of 'purposeful management' not an intent to deprive someone of
their right to say what they want.

People aren't gagged by being asked to stay on topic, or by being asked to
take unrelated topics off-list. People who want to chat about the price of
cheese can quite easily email each other off-list. Many 'groups' I have
belonged to have had more than one list for this purpose: one for beginners
help, one for advanced user, one for beta testers, one for general 'anything
goes' chat, etc.

> We cannot ban a user although I suppose we could warn one, but what's the
> point of a warning one can't enforce?

It's not about banning people. Sometimes people need a reminder that they
are perhaps getting carried away and going way off topic, that's the real
point. It is common for a templated moderator's response to be posted
suggesting that a topic is 'closed' when a long and wielding topic that has
lost its way...and serves little purpose to the majority of list users.
Generally, people - excepting the wannabe anarchists who balk at the first
sign of perceived authority - respect the moderator's decision to suggest an
end to a topic, and it keeps the list from going every which way except the
right way.

> On the LibO list we cannot yet even make changes to, say, the subject
> line, to indicate that it has been moderated and that the OP must be
> included in the list of recipients if (s)he is to see the reply. It's my
> understanding that OOo moderators can do this, and I hope we will one day
> be able to also.

As I said above, a preformatted moderators response would suffice. It could
contain bog-standard posting guidelines, a brief impersonal reason why the
moderator's have intervened.

> Personally I think mailing lists are so last century and nerdy, and that
> we should be using a forum which non-technical users like, and then there
> would be some justification for calling us moderators.

Maybe so, but it's not just 'non-technical' folk who think lists are 'last
century and nerdy'. I also happen to think they are a pretty archaic support
format; forums are much better suited to providing this type of support.

> Unfortunately tptb are also so last century and nerdy! :)

Well, I don't see it as wielding a stick, but more redirecting people when
they lose track...which they inevitably do...like I have.

> But as long as we have the mailing list form, being a final spam filter is
> something I can do to advance the software I use and like, which
> development work I can't.

Well, ATEOTD it's your list so...

-- 
Si (PLO)
# 9042. We Snore Dig Who? ¶

Auxiliary Information:
 • LibreOffice 3.4.0 OOO340m1 (Build:12)
 • Windows XP Pro 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3


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