__/ [William Tasso] on Friday 02 September 2005 12:32 \__
> Writing in news:alt.www.webmaster
> ...
> Whilst simultaneously noting that posts of this nature are usually clearly
> marked as OT: perhaps. SCNR
You caught me. It was not intentional.
>> I like alt.www.webmaster. There are some very knowledgeable and funny
>> people
>> that partake in discussions. Nonethess, there are also a few deterrents.
>
> All life is here.
Life can be anywhere. It is where you choose to live that affects your
entire future life.
>> The newsgroups often appears to be chatroom for boys and girls -- or
>> shall I
>> say -- boys /and/ girls.
>
> There's no need to discriminate agiant those that don't fall into either
> category.
>
>> It quickly slides into non-technical issues and
>> dialogues that are hard to follow.
>
> It does - sometimes.
The traffic of this group as a whole is largely dominated by that though.
This is not a bad thing, but to some it /may/ be harder to take.
>> To survive in this groups without
>> killing time, one must hit ignore on very many threads.
>
> Does your news reader have an 'ignore thread' option? or some other
> filtering mechanism that would provide the functionality. When I used O/E
> as a news-reader I found that to be an extremely useful (and trivial to
> implement) function.
I use ignore, but sometimes I get involved in a thread while still in its
very early stages. I am then unlikely to ever mark it 'ignored'.
>> Moreover, I sensed
>> that people in this group give short answers, which could otherwise be
>> more
>> helpful.
>
> Aha - now you know how to alter that don't you? there is only one way.
> Lead by example.
There is a chicken-and-egg situation here. Like I said, when passing by
alt.www.webmaster I have a slightly negative connotation so I am less
likely to read and hence contribute.
>> Lastly and perhaps not worth mentioning is the recent vandalism by the
>> Google Groups demonstrator. It definitely did not help. Had that person
>> been ignored rather than provoked, perhaps, just perhaps, he would have
>> vanished more quickly.
>
> The gb-goog-fan-boy: has she gone?
Haven't seen her anywhere else. There are other Google demonstrators in at
least 3 other newsgroups.
>> At present, it is hard for me to take the group
>> seriously
>
> The 'group' is made up of individuals. Yes indeed, groups do have a
> personality and general consensus will usually moderate the behaviour of
> individuals in the long run. However, when in Rome, remember not to spit
> on the carpet.
>
>> and I sometimes don't even skimp the subject lines. If I get
>> 'entangled' in a thread, it may easily carry on for a week.
>
> Yes it may. Don't you hate it in those groups where the replies are terse
> 'look at this faq item'?
These messages usually end the thread, which is fine. The OP can then read a
page rather than a thread which develops before the eye.
> Usenet is a discussion forum - it is good (IMO) that subjects drift. It
> makes for a more rounded kb.
Maybe worth modifying subject lines? At least assuming that people view
messages in threaded mode?
>> Even a trivial
>> question about domain registration can find its odd path into a
>> discussion
>> about fruit and vegetables.
>
> not forgetting the techniques employed to actually prepare them for
> consumption.
>
>> Just my 50 cents guys... I didn't mean to offend anyone.
>
> ahh but this is usenet and it is inevitable that someone will find their
> sensibilities bruised by your salvo.
>
> In any event, the very existence of this thread is proof positive (should
> it be needed) that folk do indeed care about 'their' groups on usenet -
> long may that be so.
So do I. I posted because I cared. I have been here for about 6 months, I
know all the regulars and maybe I was wishing for somebody to approve at
least some fragments of my message.
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder"
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 74572E8E
1:25pm up 9 days 2:33, 3 users, load average: 0.26, 0.60, 1.00
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