[dns-operations] too outspoken?

[Michael Parson]

On Sat, Jul 15, 2006 at 10:22:19PM +0000, Paul Vixie wrote:

> below, see how MH describes last couple days of e-mail on this list.
> in that time we have seen two additions to the list and five dropouts.
> while i've not measured it formally, my gut feeling is that whenever
> a list suddenly gets busy, some lurkers depart. as to the reason for
> that, my suspicion is that when a small number of outspoken people do
> a "yes it is!" vs. "no it's not!" back and forth for several days, it
> drowns out other discussion and bores the hell out of onlookers.

I've been lurking here for a few months, it will take more than a lively
debate to chase me off.  

I, for one, have rather enjoyed the busier threads.  I've been a
professional sysadmin for years and love to learn from others when I
can.  I don't fully understand all of what has been covered here, but
that's why I'm here, to learn, and as I gain more understanding, maybe
I can offer up some informed opinions.  I don't think using subscription
rates of a (free) mailing list is necessarily a valid marker for the
success of the list.  Maybe those that left realized that this maybe
isn't the list they thought they needed.  Maybe they just never learned
how to procmail their lists into separate folders and don't like the
clutter in their inbox.

> i'm willing to investigate rate-limiting for "mailman", such that
> anyone who tries to post more than twice per day or five times per
> week will receive a submit-bounce. but before i investigate that, let
> me suggest to all of us that we chill out, carefully consider our
> positions, generally avoid point- by-point rebuttal, stop repeating
> ourselves, and keep the number of posts per day and per week down to
> two and five per person, respectively. ("please.")

I'd be against such a limit.  As long as the discussion doesn't fall
to name calling and the like (a few of these have treaded dangerously
close), a lively exchange of ideas can be healthy for the list and
the subscribers.  I've never really understood your obsession with
one-post-per-day.  As long as it's on-topic and furthers the discussion,
post away!

> re:

<big list snipped>

Which is why I read my list mail in mutt, still mh folders though.

Back to lurking.

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org