List Management - RESPONSE

From: Jay West <jwest_at_classiccmp.org>
Date: Fri Mar 15 20:30:02 2002

Please read the entire message below from the list admin (who is trying very
hard not to come out of his skin and choke someone)...

You wrote...
> > > I don't think Jay has enough time to manage the list anymore. I
suggest
> > > we find a new operator.

What color is the sky in your world?

> > Jay runs a pretty tight ship on a high-volume list, and without throwing
> > his weight around, either. I'd say he's doing a fine job, and I don't
> > know anyone else who'd have the required time or patience to put into
it.

Thanks, your sentiments are much appreciated. But shouldn't that last phrase
be "to put up with it" rather than "to put into it"? ;)

As a side comment - It's rather amusing that some people have told me I do
too much, others are now telling me I do too little. Hummm

> As far as Jay's performance running the list, I'd like to make two
> observations -
>
> Unrestricted SPAM has been a very live topic for six weeks. I would
> normally expect the List Operator to at least comment on feasibility of
> the various proposals, and on the steps involved for the proposed
> volunteers. I didn't see anything at all.

Yes it has been a live topic. If you will recall, *I* am the one that
started the conversation about it with a request for comments. Didn't see
anything? Ummm maybe you should go back and find the two possible solutions
that I posted. I also did at least one followup comment I believe. I'm so
sorry my timetable for making a decision about this hasn't met with your
approval. You said "on the steps involved for the proposed volunteers"? You
OBVIOUSLY have missed some of the things I posted on this topic earlier - I
didn't list steps for the "proposed volunteers" because volunteers are not
in my game plan at this time. More on this below...

and in a separate post....

> Jay pokes his head in here once or twice a month and doesn't know what's
> going on. Most of the time he doesn't even respond to e-mails.

Really. Wow, that's funny, because I read the mail on this list every night.
I may occasionally go a day or two without it, but that's not very common.
Moreover, I, (probably like most on the list), routinely skip and delete
(without reading) posts that don't appear to be about anything that
interests me, with regards to my own collection or to list issues. Perhaps a
thread or two has gone by that had a subject line that didn't cause me to
read it when in fact it contained discussion that I should have watched. I
must say I am very offended by the suggestion that I only poke my head in
here once or twice a month and don't know whats going on.

For example - take a look at the subject of this thread "Big African
Grifters". Hummm ya think maybe that might be something I wouldn't care to
read? Why did I finally see this convo? Because someone had the forsight to
put "list management" at the front of the subject. I submit that most people
skim the list the same way I do, watching the subject lines for something
interesting. Hummm perhaps I need to turn into a list-nazi and delete posts
which don't contain content appropriate for the heading? (thats sarcasm, not
something I would do)

As far as a solution to the SPAM issue, I read all the reponses on the list
for a few weeks till it seemed to die down (maybe it continued under a
subject heading that didn't catch my eye). For those who think I have not
pursued the issue, my apologies for not CC'ing you on the many and varied
private discussions I have been having with several list members on what to
do about this exact topic (I HOPE you see blistering sarcasm coming through
here). Mostly, I believe the SPAM issue is much ado about nothing. Many
people on the list have posted AND sent me private email saying "It's your
list, you make the rules, do what you want". While that may be true, I have
always tried very hard to solicit input from listmembers anyway. Several of
the loudest complainers failed to realize that the spam was rarely coming
from this list, they were getting it from other sources most of the time. As
to having someone moderate the list: I have stated very clearly my somewhat
strong opposition to putting this list into moderated mode. That goes for ME
moderating it, or for delegating it to someone else. I also stated that if
moderating it becomes the only real solution, *I* would do it (yes, I have
the time, believe it or not). That is why I didn't answer the people who
offered to moderate the list (because I felt I had already responded to them
publicly).

As to not answering direct emails about the list? It is true, I do get a lot
of email every day, and I don't always choose to repond to every one of
them. You can bet that if someone emails me about list maintenance, it is
taken care of in a timely fashion. Yes, there have been one or two requests
for a change in mailing address that I didn't get to quickly. Sometimes it
is hard to keep track of so much email, no matter how much spare time I have
these days. However, I think that many of the people who just posted here
thanking me for the job I do would beg to differ with you on that point.

I have listened to the discussion about SPAM, I have been talking to others
on the list privately about it, and I will announce my intended solution as
soon as I am damn well ready to commit to something. Yes, I have a proposed
solution, it does NOT involve moderating the list, and as soon as I am
satisfied that it is the best route to go, I will post it on the list for
final discussion in case some people vehemently disagree with it.

Jay
Received on Fri Mar 15 2002 - 20:30:02 GMT