[buug] mail threading

[Pewter Bot]

On 10/3/09, Nick Moffitt <nick at zork.net> wrote:
> If people on gmail are resorting to *DIGEST* mode, then wow it's more
> broken than I imagined!

Speaking of broken threads...if you look at the October archives,
you'll see I'm not the only one who has broken some
threads...inadvertantly though that may be.

http://www.weak.org/pipermail/buug/2009-October/thread.html

In fact, that's you, Nick. In the first case, the subject header was
identical, yet thread seems to be broken anyway. In another case on
that same page, it's because you changed the title, even though
subject matter was identical. (Interesting that no one has complained
to you about your *two* broken links thus far in October, vs. my
*one*.)

As for Digest mode being outmoded in your eyes: well, if I want to
suffer a sea of text for every separate mail I receive from this list,
then I'd stop using digest. In a list that is composed *mostly* of
highly-experienced Unix and Linux users (a.k.a. "wizards"), I really
see no excuse for this. Since (1) y'all should know better and (2)
it's a low-volume participation list...so it's not like we're being
overwhelmed.

Were this list composed of more than 25% users being newbies who
refuse to follow netiquette, I could perhaps accept the "excuse" that
it's just too exhausting for those in the know, to keep correcting
newbies.

All I see here, is a bunch of wizards and geeks not following their
own rules of email etiquette, yet pouncing all over one who is well
meaning using digest mode, and accused of some horrid offense...not to
mention "trolling" as the latest false accusation. That is why I used
the words "disingenuous" and "hypocritical"...now, I will add the word
"pathetic". Like a bunch of grumpy old bears in hibernation whose
sleep has been disturbed.  :P

Nick: I'd like to know *your* opininon on not trimming quotes, and
therefore allowing messages to get longer and longer with each
reply...often when a responder replies with just one sentence.

My personal pref is message boards. Your mailbox doesn't get flooded
with user replies that are bloated with redundand copies of previous
replies. This really adds up if one joins three or more reasonably
active lists. And even if ordered through folders or tags, one must
still slog through these needlessly repetitious mails (where the same
thread is ever-growing and copied within each individual message)...in
order to find any new content.

With digest mode, all this sludge is eliminated, no muss, no fuss.
Better yet: if we used a message board, no one would be inconvenienced
by floods of mail. No issues over whether one should or shouldn't use
digest mode, because that is *so* old-fashioned (and don't you know
I'm so hip because I don't use digest, you must be a troll if you do).

Here is two important rules among many,  I learned about email
netiquette, way back in 1984:

1) Trim quotes, which also means do not include the entire thread up
to now in your mail, not even part of it.

-2) Send all messages to the list, not to individuals w/o their
express permission. (Under certain circumstances, one can post
privately to another, but you first need to get that person's
permission.) Besides, there is an option in most list servers, to
receive individual emails. Nonetheless, some ignore this rule, and
post both to the list and the person they are replying to...w/o
permission.

I am more than willing to work things out, even though it's rather
absurd to gripe about occasional breaking of a thread when the same
gripers don't bother to respect to respect these two rules cited
herein. They don't have a leg to stand on (so to speak).

So I will change my habits slightly, in order to humor a few
disgruntled old hibernating bears...knowing full well it is highly
unlikely they will offer in kind, to correct these other, far more
egregious, netiquette violations.

-- 
Think Google's kewl? Think again:
http://www.google-watch.org/