RE: ADMIN: list changes - Follow-up

Hi all,

I have adopted Peter Hitchman's suggestion, supported by others, = regarding
the scope of discussion. It is now anything to do with "using Oracle databases", rather than just "Oracle database administration". The = welcome
message now reads as follows:

  "Welcome to Oracle-L_at_freelists.org
  =20
   This is an unmoderated forum for the discussion of anything to do = with
using Oracle databases.

   Guidelines:

1. no unprofessional language or content
2. all threads must relate to using Oracle databases
3. all replies must add some value
4. delete unnecessary lines from your replies =20 Steve Adams List Administrator steve.adams_at_ixora.com.au"

I am unlikely to take anyone to task for starting a thread that is only tenuously related to Oracle. What I most want to avoid is threads that = stray
away from Oracle things entirely into long discussions about movies, = sport
or memories about people, places or working with antique technology. As numerous people have found out already, if you break guideline 3 in this way, I will send you a private email asking you take it offline.

If you see someone else taking a thread off-topic, please do not assume = that
because you've not seen me outlaw it publicly, that it is OK to reply on = the
list. It is not. If you want to continue the thread, reply to the sender only. If you want to point out that the thread has gone off topic, then email the culprit directly, or me if you must, but not the list.

To maximize the value of this list for all subscribers, including the = more
than 1000 lurkers, we must seek to minimize the number of emails and maximize the value of those that do go out the list. For example, if = someone
asks a question and more information or clarification is required, then = it
might be smart to email the questioner directly and suggest that they = post a
follow-up to the list with the extra information required. Similarly, = the
value density of some threads could be increased if the initiator asks = for
responses off the list and then later posts a summary of all those = responses
to the list.

It is because I believe that such off-list exchanges are vital to = increasing
the value of posts to the list, that I have been anxious to ensure that = we
have the option of replying to either the list (Reply-All) or the sender (Reply). Previously we only had the option of replying to the list = (Reply or
Reply-All did the same thing). This way, we will not all see all the = mail,
but should all see everything of value. It may take a while to get used = to,
but I do believe that it will be better this way.

There have also been a few questions about why I have made oracle-l a = closed
subscription mailing list. Unfortunately, it makes more work for me, = because
I have to check out and OK every subscription request. However, because = this
list is not moderated, if someone breaks guideline 1, say, the only way = I
can stop them from doing it repeatedly is to suspend their posting privileges. Hopefully, I'll not have to do it, but if so, it would be ineffective if they could just subscribe again using a new email address = and
start posting again. This gives us some protection from that ever = happening.

Once again, if you want to discuss any of this further, please do so off list. If anything substantive comes up, or if further changes are = needed, I
will post another follow-up to the list. Sorry about the long email. = Thanks
for reading it.

@ Regards,
@ Steve Adams
@ http://www.ixora.com.au/ - For DBAs
@ http://www.christianity.net.au/ - For all=20

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