Re: [Leica] Need a Moderated List (long response)

["Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>]

From: Andrew Nemeth <azn@nemeng.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 23:49
Subject: [Leica] Need a Moderated List (long response)


> Keep the LUG for the wide-ranging, off-the-rail stuff.
> But have a separate, focused list for those of us who
> want to learn and share knowledge about Leica-related
> photography.

My experience of cyberspace discussion fora--and it is substantial--has taught
me that, given a choice between an unmoderated forum and a moderated forum, the
former will typically contain essentially all traffic, and the latter will dry
up and wither away.

> By your own example Bryan, not everyone who runs a list is a
> egomanical fascist.

Fascists are not the only people who censor communication.

> I belong to many lists which are moderated, only
> occasionally does the moderator have to weigh in to
> exercise a little control.

All moderation is a form of censorship.  The name changes, but the act remains
the same.

> If there was a new, separate list which could remain
> sort-of focused on Leica issues, then don't you think
> that our friends at Solmns might actually start paying
> attention?

If they are cyberspace-aware (rare amongst Europeans, but conceivable), they are
already paying attention.  If they are not cyberspace-aware, creating a new,
separate list will not make them so, and thus would not attract their attention.

> And my point is that there should be a *separate* list
> where the 'certain amount of off-topic chatter' is kept
> to a tiny percentage.

This concept does not work in practice.

> I have yet to find a way of filtering the nonsense
> out of the Digests prior to downloading each 76 KB
> instalment.

Subscribe to the individual-message format, instead of the digest format.

> Can't filter digests prior to downloading them.

Correct.  See above.

> Because I need my email as part of my business and therefore
> can't afford to be wading through 100's of separate messages
> a day.

You should configure your e-mail software to do this for you.

  -- Anthony