[CH] Off-topic posts
Jonathan T. Smillie (jsmillie@protix.com)
Fri, 26 Feb 1999 16:08:14 -0600
Dear Friends:
<engage rant gear>
I've been prompted jump into this discussion to by the apparent resurgence
of the topic (and its getting in the way of other, much more interesting
posts...) just when I thought it was dying down. I'd just like to throw out
an idea here:
Many email programs these days (I've checked Eudora, Netscape mail and
Microsoft Outlook, which are the three I have) offer "filters" which can
perform certain actions on messages having particular attributes. Users who
do not wish to receive certain messages could establish a filter that
automatically trashes any message where the subject contains, for example,
the words "off topic". They would therefore be spared posts about grizzly
bears, cookie recipes, and other non-explicitly capsaiciniferous messages.
Assuming that the poster of the off-topic message has the common decency to
include this string in their subject, thereby sharing some of the burden of
compliance, the offending messages may be easily sidestepped.
I realize that this is not a solution for digest readers, and may not be
for those with metered or restricted access to mail; also, it does condone
the posting of off-topic material. However, one of the joys of this list
for me has always been that it's a list for Chile-Heads. Not a list "only
about growing chiles" or "only about cooking with chiles" or "only about
who has the most hot sauces", but a list by, for and primarily about the
people who do all of these things- and much more. I for one am much more
willing to put up with the occasional wandering thread than I am to tell
someone else that their contribution to the community doesn't belong here-
that's Mike Bowers' job, and for my money he does it pretty well.
<disengage rant gear>
On topic,
I will be in Kalamazoo, Michigan from Tuesday afternoon, March 2, through
Thursday afternoon March 4. Any listmembers in the area who might be able
to help a traveling capsaicinophile find some heat, and maybe a decent beer
or two?
Thanks,
Jonathan
==============================
Jonathan Smillie
Installation & Training Team Manager
ProTix, Inc.
jsmillie@protix.com / www.protix.com
==============================