[tlug] Suggestions for splitting of mails?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Gernot Hassenpflug writes:

 > I am wondering what is the best way for a ML subscriber to handle
 > this?

"Best" is for you to decide.  However, a good MUA should provide the
option to kill whole threads and/or subjects.  Doesn't GMail?

 > I wonder if it might be possible to split the ML more? I am thinking
 > along the lines of an analogue to web forums, where sub-forums for
 > various off-topic, ah, topics, go, and one can have sub-forums for
 > flaming, trashing other OSes, political views, and so on.

We've tried that at least twice, it doesn't work very well.
Basically, every time we've had an advocacy list, people like me turn
well-behaved on the main list, the advocacy list dies of inattention,
and things go back to (ab)normal on the main list after a while.

Traffic isn't sufficiently high to support more than two or three
lists, and two of them have to be tlug and tlug-admin.  Currently #3
is lingo.

There's also the problem that advocacy is part of the business of a
LUG.  It would be nice if we could all agree on what and how to
advocate, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

 > At present, for disciplinary action, also there seems to be only
 > the possibility of a warning and expulsion,

No, there are finer-grained possibilities.  Specifically, an
individual can be moderated, which really means "censored".  This
requires effort on the listmaster's part (and trust of the listmaster
from the members), but otherwise is quite usable, and doesn't imply
loss of reasonable posting privilege.

It should also be possible to kill threads or subjects in Mailman by
filtering on the References or Subject header.

 > Any comments welcome. If there is already an established procedure
 > decided on by the committee (and they feel it is working), so be it.

tlug@example.com is the committee, although if it's going to result in a
change to list management or policy, this discussion will probably
move to tlug-admin.  Still, you are as welcome as the president or
listmaster to contribute your opinions and ideas.

Steve "ズルガシコイ奴" Turnbull