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History Forum / General / Medieval Period / July 2008moderated version of this group?
I'm interested in the topic, and would like to ask some questions, but the troll infestation here seems worse than usual. Is there a moderated version of this list? One that stays on topic, for example? Thanks, Marc > I'm interested in the topic, and would like > to ask some questions, but [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Thanks, > Marc It is true that this NG is infested with trolls, but there are alternatives... soc.genealogy.medieval, uiuc.org.medieval, fr.soc.histoire.medievale all of which are, jointly & severally, as boring as life itself. The best way to bring the best out of the denizens here is to broach a contentious topic such as: "Irrefutable Proof of the Innocence of Richard III, who was the Fall Guy for that Black Bitch Maggie Beaufort." or.. "Was Louis XIV the bastard of Cardinal Mazarin?" or.. "Were Charles the Bold & Louis XI actually lovers?" > soc.genealogy.medieval, > uiuc.org.medieval, > fr.soc.histoire.medievale I see. Not too hopeful. Well, I just started http://groups.google.com/group/medieval-history-moderated, if anyone's interested. Marc >> soc.genealogy.medieval, >> uiuc.org.medieval, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > http://groups.google.com/group/medieval-history-moderated, if > anyone's interested. No, we are not interested - we use Usenet groups, not Google groups.  SignatureJohn Briggs > > soc.genealogy.medieval, > > uiuc.org.medieval, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Marc censors are worse than trolls. >censors are worse than trolls. Hmm. It seems to me that civilization can't exist without moderation. Signature--- Paul J. Gans > >censors are worse than trolls. > > Hmm. It seems to me that civilization can't exist > without moderation. Providing you trust your modertators.... > >censors are worse than trolls. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > -- > --- Paul J. Gans Indeed. I have found NOT ONE moderator, EVER, who strikes a balance of fairness and intelligence. By large they choke the forum and only safe -- and boring -- posts are allowed. It means that vigorous debate is smothered in the crib. Yet, I believe that one can filter appropriately, as long as there is a CLEAR code of conduct to enforce, not a fuzzy one. A code that allows for conflict as long as it moves towards resolution and not towards mindless flame war. >> >censors are worse than trolls. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> -- >> --- Paul J. Gans >Indeed. I have found NOT ONE moderator, EVER, who strikes a balance >of fairness and intelligence. By large they choke the forum and only >safe -- and boring -- posts are allowed. It means that vigorous >debate is smothered in the crib. >Yet, I believe that one can filter appropriately, as long as there is >a CLEAR code of conduct to enforce, not a fuzzy one. A code that >allows for conflict as long as it moves towards resolution and not >towards mindless flame war. You misread me. I was speaking about civilization. To exist as societies we need rules. Not everyone obeys those rules, but societies have means of dealing with those folks. By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive quite nicely. That includes groups devoted to medieval studies of one sort or another. Signature--- Paul J. Gans > By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive > quite nicely. That includes groups devoted to medieval studies > of one sort or another. The mailing lists that I'm subbed to aren't moderated but they do have an administrator whose job it is to ensure the list stays on topic for that list. They don't approve mails before they are sent to the list under normal circumstances. The list can be set to mod status if there's a flame going on. Individuals can be put on mod status as well if they persistently post off topic, spam, flame or otherwise cause problems. Unfortunately, when many mailing lists were set up, the topic was set very narrow. It isn't always the current admin who set the list up but s/he has to abide by the topic as set because that cannot be changed. A new list would need to be set up in order to broaden, or otherwise amend, the topic. Many of the lists are very active with some having upwards of 500 on topic posts a month. Other lists haven't had any posts for months or even years because there's no interest in the subject any longer. >> By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive >> quite nicely. That includes groups devoted to medieval studies >> of one sort or another. >The mailing lists that I'm subbed to aren't moderated but they do have >an administrator whose job it is to ensure the list stays on topic for [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >well if they persistently post off topic, spam, flame or otherwise >cause problems. >Unfortunately, when many mailing lists were set up, the topic was set >very narrow. It isn't always the current admin who set the list up >but s/he has to abide by the topic as set because that cannot be >changed. A new list would need to be set up in order to broaden, or >otherwise amend, the topic. >Many of the lists are very active with some having upwards of 500 on >topic posts a month. Other lists haven't had any posts for months or >even years because there's no interest in the subject any longer. That's the way it should be, right? When the interest goes away, the group essentially goes away. But even in "administered" groups, people can be asked to quiet down. Social pressure seems to work fairly well and there is always the threat of being dropped from the list. Signature--- Paul J. Gans > > By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive > > quite nicely. That includes groups devoted to medieval studies [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > an administrator whose job it is to ensure the list stays on topic for > that list. I see... That reminds me of someone who said that Homer was not actually Homer but another guy with the same name. > >> >censors are worse than trolls. > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > societies we need rules. Not everyone obeys those rules, but > societies have means of dealing with those folks. For most of our existence there have been few rules, other than what the mighty dictated. The excitement of the hunt and the glory of chopping your enemy's head were all we lived for, and by, not rules. > By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive > quite nicely. Surviving is not where it's at, thriving is what makes an enterprise worth undertaking. That includes groups devoted to medieval studies > of one sort or another. > > -- > --- Paul J. Gans >> >> >censors are worse than trolls. >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >> societies we need rules. Not everyone obeys those rules, but >> societies have means of dealing with those folks. >For most of our existence there have been few rules, other than what >the mighty dictated. The excitement of the hunt and the glory of >chopping your enemy's head were all we lived for, and by, not rules. I'm not sure that's right. From the start babies are taught "rules". Don't poke your fingers into moma's eyes is just one example. Boys roughhouse, working out rules that allow them to establish dominance without doing serious damage to each other because *that* would break a rule. And back in the Good Old Days, nobody interrupted Dad when he was speaking because that was against the rules. All those rules together are what allow us humans to live together in large groups. Without them... >> By the way, many mailing lists are moderated and seem to survive >> quite nicely. >Surviving is not where it's at, thriving is what makes an enterprise >worth undertaking. Again, I don't agree. The rule for many businesses seem to be "grow or die" and most of them, in the end, do just that. Mailing lists are something else. Some maintain a fair level of activity and a fairly stable membership over periods of years. I'd call that success. > That includes groups devoted to medieval studies >> of one sort or another. Signature--- Paul J. Gans > I'm interested in the topic, and would like to ask some questions, but > the troll infestation here seems worse than usual. Is there a > moderated version of this list? One that stays on topic, for example? This is usenet so, no, there's no moderation of this group. You'd have less trouble with the trolls if you used a newsreader (eg Outlook Express, Dialog, Agent amongst others) and a newsserver (such as NIN, your own ISP if they have newsgroups) instead of googlegroups. You'd be able to filter out the garbage then. > I'm interested in the topic, and would like to ask some questions, but > the troll infestation here seems worse than usual. Is there a > moderated version of this list? One that stays on topic, for example? > > Thanks, > Marc Well, you can do your own 'moderation' quite easily - merely enter 'Hines' in your killfile or filter system, and a magically slimmed down, interference free SHM will result. Personally, I don't like that, as giving the miserable old bugger a hard time is a pleasure to me, but each to their own... as I always say! Cheers Martin > > I'm interested in the topic, and would like to ask some questions, but > > the troll infestation here seems worse than usual. Is there a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Cheers > Martin Exactly. Killfiles are for wimps. If you don't want to read Hines or anyone else, just don't click on the thread. It's not hard to know which threads people post to if you are a regular. I just don't understand these people who whine, or used to whine, constantly about off-topic posts. Just skip over them, instead of reaching for the violin. Most posts are not worth reading; if the first line or two has no hook I drop it, medieval or otherwise. The biggest sin is not bad language, aggression, or errors, it's tedium. Life is too short for people who have little so say, unless they are valuable objects of mockery for some other reason, like Yono (formerly NoGall). . "The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth." -- Thomas Paine (Common Sense, 1776) Reference: Paine: Collected Writings, Foner ed., Library of America (21) |
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