[R-390] Subject: Off list posts

[Bob Camp]

Hi,

Here's the problem it puts you in though:

    Off list posts are supposed to stay off list (my understanding)

    I get a useful reply to something I've asked about

    I decide to reply to the reply (hang in here with me ...)

    The reply since it's interesting to me also should be interesting to
others

Now what do I do. I *believe* (no proof) that roughly 75% of the stuff that
goes out from me or comes in to me off list is simply a result of hitting
the reply and not the reply to all button. In other words off list does not
in this case mean private. However in the other 25% the off list post is
intended to be private. The information is something related to a commercial
product in the works or who knows what. It's not always obvious which pile
the item goes in.

You can spot a number of threads over the last few years on the list that
have these odd jumps in them. A conversation goes on for a while and dies.
Then a week or so later up pops a message on the same thread. Attached to
the message are a dozen or so posts that never made it on to the list. In a
lot of cases it would have been nice to follow the conversation as it went
rather than get it all in one gulp. It would also be nice to be more sure of
not offending anybody with all those attachments. Not that anybody on the
list *ever* gets offended :)

..... had to stop at this point -- I'd hit reply and not reply to all --
needed to correct the problem :)

Endless debates are the nature of the list. Debates that come up again and
again are why we are here. With the exception of "who has one of these I
need one" posts just about all the technical stuff has been brought up
before. I don't think that changing the default behavior on the reply
process will have much affect on it. When a topic comes back up people want
to chat about it. It's a new group of people and they have ideas. We seem to
move each topic a little further on each time we go over it. In the process
almost all of the old stuff gets run through again. I would *much* rather
have the activity we have here (and the repetition) in stead of the dead /
no traffic situation that seems to go on with so many other specialized
lists.

    Take Care!

        Bob Camp
        KB8TQ




----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim M." <jamesmiller20@worldnet.att.net>
To: <r-390@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 8:05 PM
Subject: Re: [R-390] Subject: Off list posts


> IMHO, this "off list post" topic is just one more example of when it is
> PREFERRED that the off topic discussions (endless debates) be conducted
> directly rather than involve the list.  The ballast tube debate on RMS
> definition was the last example.  These things take on a life of their
> own after a while.  Yes I have a delete key but it will soon due for
> repair.  N4BE
>