Date   : Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:00:17 +0000
From   : mfirth@... (Michael Firth)
Subject: Ban off-topic posts

>> Sometimes by discussion of unrelated topics, interesting ideas can be formed
>> (as well as a load of bull too) - but that is the fun of discovery and
>> thought. There is no need though for anyone to be as rude to others as was
>> seen earlier. A little tolerance on all sides here please.
> Off-topic discussions should be moved where they belong.
> Off-list.
>
The two big problems for me with an "off topic ban" are firstly (as 
others have said) who decides what is on topic and what is off topic - 
are Archimedes and RiscOS discussions allowed? Mention of vintage 
computer festival reviews that don't explicitly mention the BBC Micro? 
If you don't have a draconian ban then you don't have to worry "can I 
post this here without it being incorrect". The second issue is who 
polices any voilations, and what the punishment would be - would you 
really throw people off the list for one off topic posting? Any censure 
that does involve removing people from the list will also need the buy 
in and intervention of James F, who has (for the time I've been on the 
list) mainly preferred to keep to a back seat.

While I agree that a list that is entirely off topic will no longer have 
a purpose, a list that has only one or two posts per week (at most) will 
likely die too.

If you look at the postings here over the last few weeks, there have 
been only one or two certainly on topic threads, and they seem to be the 
threads that are the least lively.

It is sad that, once again, the highest volume topic on this list has 
again become the operation of the list, rather than the subject the list 
is supposed to be about.

Regards

Michael