Jeff W wrote...

>Enough is enough, and in my opinion we're way past too much lately.
>Surely I'm not the only one who would appreciate some basic application
>of netiquette here again.

You're not the only one. I admit being another suffering victim.


>Can we please avoid posting flame-bait to the list?

I share your sentiments, but I already lost all hope.


>Would it help if I find a server for HP3000-FLAME-L?

I guess it wouldn't help to have an OFF-TOPIC-L or similar, because
people seem to continue viewing HP3000-L as the only (or best) place
to post all kinds of non-3000-related topic. I don't know why. Maybe
just out of convenience. Or maybe just a matter of thoughtlessness.
Or maybe because "one little off-topic posting won't ruin the signal-
to-noise-ratio" (not taking into account the sheer number of posters
that have the same idea, and the multiplication effects of replies.
Or just because it would take some effort to locate and subscribe to
a more appropriate forum.

I wonder if an HP3000-ON-TOPIC-L or explicitly tagging "on topic"
postings would have a slightly higher chance from a psychological
point of view... but I am not seriously suggesting this here.


Jeff W followed up...

>I would prefer people use a modicum of discretion, or at least
>consideration, in choosing what forums are appropriate to a topic and what
>topics are appropriate to a forum.  According to the list webpage this is
>the "HP-3000 Systems Discussion".

Do you think there are more than just you and me sharing this wish?  ;-)

Seriously, in the last couple of weeks I sometimes found the mpe/ix forum
at the ITRC more focused and with better signal/noise ratio than HP3000-L.
And I hate to admit this because I really dislike the ITRC user interface.

Could it be that not being accessible by eMail helps the ITRC? Is it too
easy / convenient to post to HP3000-L or forward extensive material like
Wirt's New-York-Times or scientific articles -ahem- article quotes/copies?
Notice how easy it is to start off-topic-flame-bait this way. Takes next
to zero typing effort.

Is the convenience of HP3000-L access it's biggest signal/noise "enemy"?


>The HP3000-L community (which is not the same as the HP3000 community) is
>worse off when the "signal-to-noise ratio" degrades to the point that folks
>with questions and/or answers on HP3000 and MPE related topics stop or
>substantially decrease their participation.

Jeff, you must be reading my thoughts.


Wirt A added...

>To the best of my knowledge, all postings on all of the various threads on
>this subject were properly marked OT and could have been easily filtered, if
>you so desired.

In my opinion the "OT filtering" approach is only a weak workaround.
Many off-topic postings or replies don't use the "OT" tag or lose it
at some point of the thread. And those threads/postings/replies that
use the "OT" marker, still travel through my low-bandwidth connection
before my PC mail client could filter them.

I would really prefer to have the forum itself be the "filter" for
the topic area. That's -as far as I recall- the original idea of
having a rich choice of internet discussion groups. You subscribe
to those that carry traffic of interest. And you don't subscribe to
those that don't. All this doesn't work if "off topic" posts begin
to dominate a forum.

Oops. Sorry for the lengthy reply.

Regards, Lars.

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