In article <3k1nht$is6 at mserv1.dl.ac.uk>,
ANDY JOHNSTON <A.M.JOHNSTON at dundee.ac.uk> wrote:
>Is the recent adverts/mailing the price we have to pay for being
>part of the bionet....
>>if so I say we get off it!
I'm afraid that any sort of mailing list or newsgroup is potentially open to rubbish postings.
The only possible solution is to have a human moderator screen all postings (any volunteers?).
We have so far been fortunate in having avoided serious attacks of rubbish. However, as
nominal newsgroup discussion leader, I am now breaking with my general policy of not commenting
on rubbish postings or responses to them. I ask for everone to take note of the following
suggested rules:-
1. If you see rubbish in the newsgroup, don't reply/followup to the group. Replying
only prepetuates the annoyance (followups, followups to followups etc.). I occasionally do
this on behalf of the photosynthesis newsgroup.
2. If you are absolutely boiling and absolutely must respond, make sure that you reply ONLY to
the originator of the item. Remember however that the original mail may have carried a
forged header and you could be replying to the wrong guy.
3. In some cases, you may feel that an individual should be reported to his postmaster
(address usually postmaster at site.name). If the postmaster's reponse leaves you unsatisfied,
you could try getting in touch with the administration of the guilty party.
But in summary, experience in other groups shows that the best policy is to just ignore the rubbish.
You can be sure that troublemakers will end up being mailbombed without your help and generally
only embarass themselves.
Now back to my policy of no followups to rubbish, no followups to followups to rubbish ...
__
Jonathan B. Marder '
Department of Agricultural Botany | Internet: MARDER at agri.huji.ac.il
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | /\/
Faculty of Agriculture |/ \ Phone: (08 or +9728) 481918
P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, ISRAEL / Fax: (08 or +9728) 467763
