Full Disclosure mailing list archives
How to run a mailing list (Was: Please Vote Today
From: Andrew J Caines <A.J.Caines () halplant com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 16:06:40 -0400
In all this noise Mike Fratto made the only relevant point:
read the charter
Mailing lists should be run as an autocracy with the admins/owners as the rulers and the charter as the law. A good charter combined with just and even enforcement will result in a good list and happy subscribers. Conversely, any one of a poorly written charter, or unjust or uneven application of administrative authority will create unrest and disturb the list - as we see with this issue. This is not a moderation (by which I mean the (dis)approval of posts) issue and should not be mistaken for one. This is an administrative matter. The existing charter is fairly good in structure and in defining the critical aspect of the list, that is what is on-topic and what is not; however it is too vague in several places, has extraneous content and does not sufficiently address enforcement issues. Those provisions which are clear are not visibly and reliably enforced. As with all law, the charter needs to be maintained as the world and the community change around it. The notion of self-moderation is irrelevant, since all lists effectively moderate themselves independant from the list's administration. This ill-considered and badly implemented mockery of a democratic process [or witch hunt, depending on your perspective] is inappropriate and undermines the integrity of the list and its admins. As those who have done it (and many who have the sense not to) know, managing a list is difficult and will eventually drive you crazy. Long-term list admins should be canonised*. In addition to the time, effort, patience and technical skills, the ability and willingness to delegate and abdicate are necessary to be an effective list admin. *[Sainthood or being shot out of a cannon, according to preference] -Andrew- -- _______________________________________________________________________ | -Andrew J. Caines- Unix Systems Engineer A.J.Caines () halplant com | | "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary | | safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 | _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- Please Vote Today morning_wood (Jun 11)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Please Vote Today Philip Stortz (Jun 12)
- Re: Please Vote Today morning_wood (Jun 12)
- Re: Please Vote Today martin f krafft (Jun 12)
- Re: Re: Please Vote Today morning_wood (Jun 12)
- Re: Re: Please Vote Today Export (Jun 12)
- Re: Re: Please Vote Today eip (Jun 12)
- Re: Re: Please Vote Today Rui Miguel Seabra (Jun 12)
- RE: Please Vote Today Mike Fratto (Jun 12)
- How to run a mailing list (Was: Please Vote Today Andrew J Caines (Jun 12)
- Re: Please Vote Today aliver (Jun 12)
- RE: Re: Please Vote Today Benjamin Meade (Jun 12)
- RE: Please Vote Today David Vincent (Jun 12)
- RE: Please Vote Today Raj Mathur (Jun 12)
- RE: Re: Please Vote Today Sam Pointer (Jun 12)
- RE: Re: Please Vote Today Nick FitzGerald (Jun 12)
- RE: Please Vote Today Myers, Marvin (Jun 12)