Re: Free database tools announcements - invitation to discussion

jhking wrote:

> I don't generally visit c.d.o.marketplace unless I'm looking for a job,
> therefore I'm less likely to see such notices if only posted there.

[Quoted] Please excuse my frankness ... but your laziness should not be used as an argument for someone spamming usenet groups. If you knew there were things there of value you would look. If you didn't then your loss.

   I'm
> not a software publisher so I have no ulterior motives here. I'm
> actually more annoyed by the long SPAM threads than by a single
> announcement of an available tool. I understand Daniel's disinterest in
> turning any of the groups into people's garbage bins for press releases,
> but I don't think allowing free software to be announced will lead us
> that direction.

[Quoted] If you allow these notices then where would you draw the line? How about user group meetings? Seminars? Book announcements? eBay offerings? I am a person that generally believes the world is painted in shades of gray rather than in black and white. But the history of usenet proves that those groups that do not defend their turf are overrun by spammers.

[Quoted] If you don't want to see long-running discussions perhaps the solutions would be to just take 30 seconds each week to scan postings to c.d.o.marketplace. And to help fight spam.

> While usage has discouraged the posting of software announcements, there
> is nothing in the charter making such postings off-topic. I agree with
> Ron that we should stop chastizing those who post about free
> Oracle-related tools.

[Quoted] Isn't going to happen as long as the majority of the regular contributors agree.

[Quoted] [Quoted] But once again you have avoided, as do the spammers, directly addressing [Quoted] the issue I raise. What is the harm to someone making an announcement in c.d.o.marketplace? How is it an imposition to them?

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
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