Re: enough already

[Sally Marquigny <SALLYM -at- MSMAILHQ -dot- NETIMAGE -dot- COM>]

>Some of us have linguistic backgrounds, and this _does_ apply to our
>profession.

>If a message doesn't apply to you, delete it.  I'm not terribly interested
>in some of the hardware topics, so I delete them.  However, I know that
they
>are very appropriate for some list readers, so I certainly don't complain
>that _I_ don't like to read them.

Eric's point is that if it doesn't apply to the *technical writing*
profession in specific, *don't* post it!  Messages about nicknames for
parents do not compare with messages about technical writing for hardware as
opposed to technical writing for <insert your subject matter  here>.

>>Sheesh, this list is know for its topic drift and endless prattle,
>>but this really getting out of hand.

>As one who posts regularly and obtains a great deal of useful information
>from the list, I take offense to this statement.  There are other lists if
>this one does not serve your purpose.

>Kayla Westra

That's the point: the linguists on the list who would like to hold these
debates *can* find a more appropriate venue for them.  However, this is
*the* list for technical writing--"there ain't no more!"  And if it turns
into a linguistic debating grounds, where will we tech writers go for the
information we seek?  There are several of us *creative* writers on the
list, as well, but we don't post messages about meter versus free verse to
this list even though others might be interested in it *because it's not
about technical writing*.  It's simple etiquette and netiquette to consider
the appropriateness of one's message before sending it.

Quite honestly, there are a lot of very intelligent, interested people on
this list, which means the volume of mail is high compared to most lists.
Lately, the off-topic mail has outnumbered the on-topic mail and is
incredibly higher than any list I've ever subscribed to.  I don't think the
solution to this problem is to send the concerned parties packing (to take
over another unsuspecting list, like say, LINGUIST-L? ;).

I suspect that the scope of the broadcast of a message through the list has
not fully sunk in to some users, new or not.  Take a look at the list of
subscribers, all over the world.  It may feel like a small community, but
your message bounces all over, and can be the straw that breaks the camel's
back for each of the machines that forwards it.  The best thing we can each
do is to wait one hour after composing a message or reply before sending it.
 By then, you may have decided it wasn't that important, or someone else may
have posted the same thought, or you may have realized it was better sent as
a private message than a list post.

It's a good list; let's keep it that way! :)

Sally Marquigny                    Network Imaging Systems
sallym -at- msmailhq -dot- netimage -dot- com       Herndon, VA