I find the signal to noise ratio with the topics my primary reason for ignoring most of what comes across the list. I originally came out to the meetings and joined the list for intelligent discussion of tech related topics at any level. The mailing list however rarely presents that sort of thing anymore. Now that I am working a late shift, I can't make it to the meetings and even though the topics vary there, generally some tech related stuff is brought up.
While the list isn't moderated, there is also a disregard it seems for promoting tech topics over bickering about economics, social issues, religion, politics and US law. The closest I have seen on the list to a tech topics lately was revolving ink cartridge refills for printers. Where is Linux? If half the enthusiasm thats being asserted for these topics was put towards Linux, great things might just happen.
I certainly hope at some point that something more useful than who feels what about religion and politics actually comes from this list. What we have instead is folks that are set in their ways for one side or the other locked in perpetual debate that won't change the minds or opinions of the others.
Why not propose a tech question or topic to discuss in a new thread?
-John Frakes
----Original Message----- From: "Leo Mauler" [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: 8/14/2008 3:23 AM Subject: Re: what ever happened to linux?(Rep. Cleaver/immigration rants, etc.)
--- On Tue, 8/12/08, [email protected] [email protected] wrote:
I highly recommend KCLUG set up a BS list, similar to LEAP, where non-Open Source discussions can take place. I find this helps to minimize the signal to noise ratio for those who wish to just concentrate on OSS.
In my experience creating a new mailing list for people to which to take their unrelated discussions, results in an empty BS list and the same level of OT discussions on the original list.
Sometimes people just don't want to bother going somewhere else, and sometimes those on the free E-mail providers have used up all their E-mail filters already and don't have one free to use for yet another mailing list. Plus there's the added disincentive of the new BS list containing entirely inflammatory messages: no one wants to subscribe to a daily dose of inflammatory messages. Dodging the cow patties in the existing mailing list is somewhat preferable.
Plus the instant you mention such a list, someone will start a "censorship!" flamewar, and none of us wants that.
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