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. 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. 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. Bill -- INTERNET: bill at celestial.com Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC URL: http://www.celestial.com/ PO Box 820; 6641 E. Mercer Way Voice: (206) 236-1676 Mercer Island, WA 98040-0820 Fax: (206) 232-9186 Rights is a fictional abstraction. No one has ``Rights'', neither machines nor flesh-and-blood. Persons... have opportunities, not rights, which they use or do not use. -- Lazarus Long