ADMIN: Subject lines
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: ADMIN: Subject lines
- From: t*@lanl.gov (Tom Tadfor Little)
- Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 10:10:07 -0600
I think I should clarify the context of my recent posting, in which
I said that honest mistakes are not a problem, but "deliberate
disregard" for list policies is "irresponsible". Those are strong
words, and some of you were understandably bewildered by them. I was
trying to be diplomatic by not getting into particulars.
Suffice it to say that there was an instance a few months ago where
about half a dozen subscribers complained to me about one person's
repeated postings of off-topic messages with misleading subject lines.
When I privately asked the person in question to make an honest effort
to do better, the response I received was that there was no need to
do so--others would just have to continue to put up with it.
I think "deliberate disregard" is an apt description of that particular
situation. It is, thankfully, unique.
I was concerned that Carolyn's comment (paraphrased) "don't change the
subject line if you don't want to--it builds character in the rest
of us" might be interpreted as encouragement for such disregard of the
list policies. It can also be taken as idle humor, of course, but with
over 200 people on the list, I'm sure not everyone would read it that
way.
This is really a lot of unnecessary fuss about a simple thing: subject
lines. When I started this list, subject lines were the last thing I
expected to be a source of difficulty. Other lists I belong to have
flame wars, off-topic threads, and tyrannical list owners--but hardly
any problem worrying about misleading subject lines.
Perhaps, considering the topic of this list, an analogy will be useful:
You wouldn't give 200 people a mislabeled iris, would you? Then why
give them mislabeled messages? The messages, like the irises, persist
long after you send them out. Every message posted to this list is filed
in the archives, with its subject line as its "name tag". It should be
clear that appropriate labeling is more important for an archived
mailing list that is distributed to 200 people than it is for private
email.
Again, let me emphasize that none of this is meant to be critical of
folks who are new at participating in internet mailing lists and are
still learning. For some, equipment and software make the learning
process even rougher. If that is your situation, I think you will find
that both your listowner and your fellow subscribers are supportive,
encouraging, and tolerant of occasional "learning experiences".
Using email is a lot like driving a car. Anyone who can turn the key,
and find the gas, break, and steering wheel can make it go. And for
driving the dirt roads on the back 40 of your own farm, that's enough.
Going downtown for shopping or getting on the interstate, however, means
that you have to learn a little more: traffic signs, speed limits, and
other "rules of the road". These aren't necessary to make the car go,
but they are necessary if you want to stay safe and avoid collisions with
other drivers. Experienced drivers can compensate for the occasional
student driver who makes a mistake, but students do need to learn from
their mistakes and try to avoid repeating them in the future.
Enough said.
Back to irises!
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Tom Tadfor Little tlittle@lanl.gov -or- telp@Rt66.com
technical writer/editor Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Telperion Productions http://www.rt66.com/~telp/
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