On Friday 03 October 2008 22:23:16 Bill Campbell wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 03, 2008, Ned Slider wrote:

> > Vandaman wrote:

> >> Off course people are going to ask. In my opinion as long

> >> as a topic is marked OT, it is preferable to one not marked

> >> but one in which the OP has not even done basic research on his

> >> problem.

> >

> > It may be preferable to YOU, but marking something OT doesn't stop it

> > wasting MY bandwidth or clogging up MY inbox does it?

>

> That's what incoming mail filters are for :-). I must admit that

> I do the vast majority of my e-mail using mutt which makes it

> extremely easy for me to delete threads unread. This is usually

> much more time-consuming with GUI or web mail clients.

>

If your account is pop3 only you don't have that option

> Personally I have no problem with the occassional OT thread, and

> think that, within reason, they can make a list more ``friendly''

> and less intimidating to newbies.

>

as long as OT threads stay short, I agree. Long rambling pointless ones I can do without.

> I also prefer more general lists to those that have very tight

> charters as I learn quite a bit when I see threads with

> interesting subjects that I might not see otherwise.

>

Agreed about content, but having a code of conduct doesn't affect that.

Anne