Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!sco!davidbe From: davidbe@sco.COM (The Cat in the Hat) Newsgroups: news.admin Subject: Re: Too many flames - cut it down?!? Summary: calm response Message-ID: <105@scorn.sco.COM> Date: 3 Oct 89 19:22:40 GMT References: <10@dynasys.UUCP> Sender: news@sco.COM Reply-To: davidbe@sco.COM (The Cat in the Hat) Organization: The Subterranean Crocodile Objective Lines: 45 news.admin's own jessea@dynasys.UUCP (Jesse W. Asher - Sysadmin.) said: -I too have noticed an increase in flaming in a lot of different newsgroups. -A fews people are making life miserable for the others and, I for one don't -want to put up with it. Is there anything we can (should) do? The first -question is whether we should attempt to do something. I believe so. I don't believe so. To attempt to prohibit certain types of messages because of content is censorship. I admit, I like to see certain types of censorship (the relegation of advertising to biz.*, certain articles by certain people), but to generalize into "doing something about flames" is a bit much. -Unfortunately, when something like USENET gets as big as its getting, you are -going to have these type of problems. It's not fair for a very, very small -minority to ruin it for the rest of us. Are you *really* being hurt by the flame messages? If these "flamers" bother you, the option of skipping their articles (whether automagically with an rn kill file, or manually in notes) *is* available. It may not be convenient, but it is available. -Second question: How do we go about -it? Create a blackball list and let each system determine whether they want -to use it or not? How would the list be created? I don't want a "Flame -Patrol" or anything that idiot, so how would this be done? Have the net -nominate people for the various categories, i.e. "Most obnoxious", etc? -Any ideas/comments? There's really no way around it. The moment you create a "most something" category, you'll have people trying to win it. You could try ignoring these people you don't like, and hope they go away. Or you could send polite mail to them, asking that they keep the flames to alt.flame. These methods have worked in the past. (Note: A flame of this article appears in alt.flame.) -- David Bedno, Systems Administrator, The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. Email: davidbe@sco.COM / ..!{uunet,sun,ucbvax!ucscc,gorn}!sco!davidbe Phone: 408-425-7222 x5123 Disclaimer: Speaking from SCO but not for SCO. "Just another tragic case of terminal kinetic energy poisoning." - Dr. Buen-Scheuk