tedd said: >> In consideration of List Mom, >> isn't there some way that [X-FB] stuff could be >> automatically taken off this list and sent to another list? Not automatically - but I think we're getting one set up to be used for this. Peter? Bowerbird said: >it's easy as pie to do a listserve using www.onelist.com. > >i have several lists going there, >and spend no time in maintenance. "Small" lists require little/no maintenance. I have a small list of my own that I do literally nothing to, and I'm on many small-to-medium lists that I'm sure require little or no maintenance. The more people on the list, however, the more it takes. A couple of large to huge lists I'm on have full-time list admins! >however, i think the off-topic threads we have here >are entertaining, hardly anything to be concerned about. Which is why I let many of them continue for a while, if they're even _slightly_ related to Mac programming. Even totally-off-topic ones, I won't complain if there's only one or two postings. >if someone _is_ making a mountain out of these molehills, >i'd like to know exactly who it is? who are the complainers? Quite frankly, that's none of your (or anybody elses) business! That's why complaints are supposed to be sent to me, not the list or the person being complained about. I have a pretty tough skin; some others don't, get offended easily, etc. - there's no reason to get list members upset with each other. Anyone can complain and know that their complaint will not be aired publicly. I WILL NOT TOLERATE A FLAME WAR! I'll do the "spankings" or whatever else is needed, you can get mad at me, big deal. Staz isn't involved at ALL in this list, other than as another member, so he (better not!) get any heat. "The buck stops here". I'm it, I wrote the rules and I enforce them - unless someone else is masochistic enough to volunteer to take over, and the list and Glen approve. >it seems that most of the principle contributors to the list >don't mind these occasional trips up the side roads... True - although even a couple of those who themselves have a tendency to migrate off-topic have been known to complain when others do and I let it go on too long! :-) The idea is to keep the list running smoothly so there _aren't_ very many complaints. Thus I'll _often_ send a gentle "boilerplate" reminder, or even a "spanking", when nobody has complained at all - that keeps things under control. Once someone is complaining, I feel I haven't done my job. When I get four or five complaints in one day, on one person or thread - I know it's time to stomp down hard. That's only happened twice, luckily! (One person got unsubscribed. The other got a threat to be unsubscribed or put in "timeout" for a while, and has done better since. You know who you are; thank you.) >if things like off-topic threads -- >or my tendency to change the subject-line when i respond >-- bother you, please backchannel me, so i know you >really exist and have the integrity to say so to me directly, >so i can honor your objections. Integrity has nothing to do with it. The list rules say to send such complaints to me. If anyone I "spank" wishes to see the original complaint(s), if any, and they ask before I've deleted them, I'll strip out identifying stuff and forward the complaints themselves. "Really exist"??? If I'm the one complaining, I'll say so, not try to hang it on someone else. >if not, i think we're making too much ado about nothing. I wouldn't say "nothing", perhaps "not much". Nothing is "out of control" yet. I'd just like to keep it that way. Bill