Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!well!pokey
From: pokey@well.UUCP (Jef Poskanzer)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Too many flames - cut it down?!?
Message-ID: <13924@well.UUCP>
Date: 3 Oct 89 20:13:29 GMT
References: <4561@ncar.ucar.edu>
Reply-To: Jef Poskanzer 
Organization: Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric, Ada Lovelace Cabal
Lines: 27

In the referenced message, woods@handies.UCAR.EDU (Greg Woods) wrote:
}not invalidate the point. The best way to stop a flamer is: DON'T RESPOND.
}Even if you are under personal attack, if the flamer is truly an idiot, 
}everyone else will be able to see that too.

Except for all the other idiots, who will proceed to post followups.

I find that a polite e-mailed form letter gets good results.  For instance,
here's the one I'm currently using on the idiots who post non-source to
alt.sources:

    Please don't post stuff like this to alt.sources.  The proper newsgroup
    for discussion is alt.sources.d.  Posting non-source articles to
    alt.sources is very impolite, since many people attempt to archive it
    automatically and they don't want non-source articles.  I suggest you
    cancel your article immediately.

I just took a look in my control newsgroup, and found eleven cancels for
alt.sources.  Not bad.

Andrew Beals has a nice collection of form letters for other occasions.
Write to him (bandy@well.sf.ca.us) if you're interested.
---
Jef

    Jef Poskanzer  pokey@well.sf.ca.us  {ucbvax, apple, hplabs}!well!pokey
                         Yow! Are we interfacing yet?