Re: Please TRIM the message histories, especially when digest!!
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Please TRIM the message histories, especially when digest!!
  • From: G* L* <f*@rewrite.hort.net>
  • Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2014 14:56:41 -0700
Hi all,

OK, just for the record, to clarify why I wrote "please trim messages
especially in digest" --

I've had people ask me in the past for help in reading Iris-talk, they
were having trouble with reading it (because of the very long "tails"
of untrimmed chains-of-posts); recently, many posters were not
trimming any of the old-strings-of-digest-messages -- And with our
internet connection, it's difficult to read in email, for us too.  So
my intent was to help with that.  I'm not the only person who finds it
difficult to read when you have multiple iterations of
chains-of-digest.

Then Shaub asked how to change how one received iris-talk.  So I spent
20 minutes to look that up and post it.  (I'm just a member here, have
nothing to do with running the list).

I totally grok that internet talk groups are "old technology", "archaic medium".
However, one area where a LOT of newer iris folks, are failing, a lot,
is in recognizing that sure, you want to include all the folks with
the latest technologies, AND ALSO include the people with older
computers, lesser-speed internet connections (and there are quite a
few folks who are seriously interested in iris who are not on
internet).  Reading iris-talk recently, in email, is difficult on a
not-great computer screen (and yep, I could go to the iris-hort site!
but many internet lists successfully remind themselves, oh, let's when
we can trim old tails, so reading within email is easier).

I'm sorry that someone else was apparently insulted by what I wrote.
What I was suggesting -- that people trim the "long tails" off their
posts -- is pretty standard for internet lists.  If people find it
difficult to do that, it can be easier if they switch from
getting-messages-as-digest, to getting messages as emails -- since
then they would respond to one message at a time.  Sometimes when
someone has trouble trimming, then they still don't -- but OTHER folks
on the list are reminded, and at least that makes it easier!

I moderate several large internet groups (~ 3,000 members), being
involved with one since 2000.  It is a pretty well accepted part of
"netiquette" -- net etiquette -- to try to have members of a list,
trim the message-histories, at least to some degree, when responding
to a post.  If someone really has trouble with doing that, then maybe
they'll not trim, understandably.

Thanks Linda for a good reminder on kindness.

Gesine


***********************************
A learning experience for you, Shaub - never flame somebody behind their
back in a way that would embarrass you if it gets passed along.

<especially> on the internet! ;-)

lesson in humility & kindness

------------------------------

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