full-disclosure - How to run a mailing list (Was: Please Vote Today

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Message-ID: <20030612200640.GB59876@hal9000.halplant.com>
From: A.J.Caines at halplant.com (Andrew J Caines)
Subject: How to run a mailing list (Was: Please Vote Today

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@...plant.com  |
| "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary |
|  safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 |