Re: [opensuse] Cross-posting - why not?

* Greg Freemyer [12-05-12 15:03]:

On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM, Patrick Shanahan wrote: <snip>

...

please: http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Mailing_list_netiquette#Cross_posting

You're quick. That's been part of the official wiki page less than 24 hours! I wonder if it was discussed, or just added to the rules with little thought.

At one time(!tm) it was part of the "netiquette". Rajko put it back into the wiki page.

I'd argue that cross_posting is fine if everyone follows a reply-all philosophy and all of the lists allow posts by non-subscribers. It does simplify things if your email client deduplicates the emails. (I use gmail for mailing lists and it does that behind the scenes. I never know that I got 2 copies of the same email.)

Everyone does *not* use graphical readers for text functions such as email. And, gmail also does not show your own posts in the list, ie: not a cure for all.

That's how LKML (linux kernel mailing lists) handles it, so those technically elite users encourage and use a cross-posting philosophy on their main lists. I see it employed all the time there and I don't recall anyone ever complaining.

Has been (was) a long standing "rule" here.

With LKML, the end result is a collection of 100 or so related specialized lists were specialists are subscribed to just a few lists and anyone can post to any of the lists. If an issue affects multiple areas, then the posters just cross-post to all of the various lists and the reply-all philosophy that is mandated on LKML lists makes it work transparently.

openSUSE lists are not LKML :^) just as all countries do not use metric or speak the same language. Reply-all w/o trimming to list-only is also frowned upon in the wiki.

Fyi: numerous of the more technical opensuse lists have been open to all posters for years, they rely on spam filters to keep the spam out. A few spams get in every now and then, but I bet it is only 10 or 20 per year.

That has been proposed here and is utilized on a few lists, but not all. Spam is not a subject of this thread.

fyi2: You should note I did not post this to multiple lists, but it is a perfect example of a post that would fit on more than one list. In particular, this one and -project. I don't really even know which one is the better choice. I chose this one only because this is where the reference link was made.

In responding to the original I clearly failed to remove the other lists but in this particular instance how is one to know the post will be seen and how is one to effect the archives show proper threading without? cross-posting generates unneeded duplication and where one does not have the facility or knowledge to /dev/null those, he is bombarded with needless traffic. The onus on providing readable content is on the poster and obligation is *not* transferred to the potential reader to clean the poster's mess!

Clearly my vote is that ALL opensuse lists be opened up for non-subscriber posts and follow the lead of LKML for both the reply-all and the cross-posting netiquette issues.

And *clearly* should be proffered in a "new thread" as has nothing to do with *this* thread. -- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA HOG # US1244711 http://wahoo.no-ip.org Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/gallery2 http://en.opensuse.org openSUSE Community Member Registered Linux User #207535 @ http://linuxcounter.net -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org