Re: Administrivia: Discussion - Making this list subscriber-only

From: Mark Murray (mark@grondar.za)
Date: 08/27/02 

To: Jens Rehsack <rehsack@liwing.de>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 16:36:44 +0100
From: Mark Murray <mark@grondar.za>

> > I got an overwhelmingly positive (off-list, thanks!) response to my
> > complaint that this list's signal-to-noise ratio was terrible.
>
> For that you should really use a spam filter.

Spam is a small part of the problem. A much larger part is off-topic
chatter.

> > Comments? Suggestions? (Keep it brief and focussed, folks!)
>
> Personally I like the solution on PHP mailing lists. Everybody can
> write mail to a list without having to subscribe. But the sending
> first ever mail to that list you must! allow validating your address
> by responding an auth request like when subscribing to fbsd lists.

How will that stop off-topic chatter?

> This allows to post validated senders only but keeps freedom to all
> people who wants post.

_Less_ freedom is actually needed. It is precisely that freedom which
has allowed the list to become a question-and-answer (or HOWTO) list
that has dropped the signal value so badly.

> I do not like restricted use. The end doesn't justifies the means!

Depends on the "end". Here I mean a dramatic drop in newbie questions
and a consequent increase in the technical content/discussion ratio. I
also hope to attract back the security gurus, and thus further improve
the signal content.

M 

-- 
o       Mark Murray
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