Re: [Plug] PLUG Meeting Subject-Suggestion!!

[Joseph Laudadio <jpl27@drexel.edu>]

	If the only reason for leaving the list open is so people can 
submit questions to it, then I suggest this alternative.  Why not put the 
PLUG website to better use by putting up a message board where anyone can 
post? This can be quite easily with a little php and mysql. There are 
even some free ones already written that could be used.  This way, the 
list could be closed sparing those of us who subscribe to the list from 
the wrath of a pissed off postmaster while at the same time still giving 
the rest of the world access to our superior knowledge. :) 

Joe

On Sun, 3 Oct 1999, jason and jill wrote:

> > 
> > As for making the list closed, I personally don't care.  I do have a
> > dial-up connection, but fetchmail downloaded all those disgruntled
> > postmaster messages in the background; I saw nothing.  Does anybody
> > actually know any non-subscribers who have posted to the list?  How
> > would they feel if you made the list a closed list?
> > 
> 
> I have to say, as someone that runs quite a few lists, I'm really
> surprised to find out that PLUG isn't a closed list.  Open posting lists
> haven't been standard in years.  Closed lists prevent the type of
> postmaster attack we had here--which again I haven't seen happen to a
> list in years, since closing the list became standard.  Closed lists are
> also generally protected against spams, since spammers usually don't go
> to the trouble of spamming a list before they post.
> 
> I'd greatly oppose the idea of a newsgroup--posting anything to usenet
> is the quickest way to guarantee several months of spam.  My email
> account had been relatively free of spam for months until I made the
> mistake of posting a question to a printer newsgroup.  I've been hitting
> the D key much more often since then.  
> 
> As for having the list open so that people on the general net can post
> to the list, I can think of only two reasons someone would do so.  The
> first would be to post an announcement and the other would be to ask a
> question.  For the latter, posting as an outsider doesn't do much good
> as most people answering their question, or following up on answers,
> would by habit post the answer to the LIST, which the person of course
> would not be subscribed to! :)  So a lot of good that does. 
> 
> When I've had a question for a list, I've always subbed to that list,
> posted my question, and unsubbed when the question had been answered.
> It seems to me to be a bit of an imposition to be interested in a
> particular list only to a single question answered, and to also ask that
> replies be sent only through private mail b/c subbing to the list
> wouldn't have been too inconvenient.  After all, if someone is using the
> group as a free utility, they can at least do it in a way that is
> convenient for the group rather than themselves.
> 
> As for announcements, there aren't that many announcements of interest
> to PLUG users that PLUG users don't already forward here, and going the
> extra step of inviting those announcements would mostly encourage
> commercial annoucements.
> 
> Now if someone wanted to serve as a gatekeeper who would accept
> submitted announcements and forward to the list the pertinent ones, that
> would take care of that.
> 
> On most lists I've been on, there has been discussion of forming a
> usenet group.  Usually the idea is shot down but someone goes and sets
> up a group anyway, and that group then gets 5-10 posts a week, most of
> which are newbies asking "Does anyone use this newsgroup?"
> 
> Jason
> 
> 
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