Email lists are full of wangst

[firstfallenpanda]

Is it just a local thing or are all email lists full of stupid? It seems to be an inherent problem where you have ignorant people/easily offended people/experts on internet usage/"experts" with superiority complexes using the same forum.

On the Cape Town Freecycle list there have been two asplosions in as many months. Last month someone complained about there being too many "wanted" posts, and was flamed and supported over a two-week period by half the list. Nothing was achieved, other than to clutter up people's inboxes and piss other people off. In the latest fiasco someone posted a "wanted: job" ad and was politely told off about contravening the rules. Not even told off, per se, just pointed to the group's rules. That person then got flamed for being "heartless" and "privileged" and "against the downtrodden trying to better themselves". Now the list is full of people either pointing out the rules, or rallying to support the downtrodden and unemployed, or being anarchists against the rules and flaming the rules-posters or just flaming the list in general for being stupid no-life-having people with nothing better to do and then leaving the list with cries of "oh, this used to be a lovely place where we could get rid of stuff to save the environment". Argh.

This is not new, though. There was a blow-up on another list recently about thread-jacking and when I responded with an explanation of what it is and what netiquette is I was asked by some people to write a post on the topic. I so don't want to get involved in stupid list-flames. Srsly, life is Too Short.

There ends the rant.

Comments

[bend-gules.livejournal.com]

I've been sorely tempted bytimes to complain about the number of wanted: ads in the Hackney freecycle, esp. requests for computer bits. They make up 1/3 of the list (I counted).

I've held off because I myself have been tempted to put one up - I've resisted so far, but am aware it still shows I've thought about it.

My solution is to make up an e-mail filter so that anything from freecycle with 'wanted' in the subject line goes into a 'freecycle greed' folder, which I delete.

It catches 95% of the wanted ads. Sorted!

But yes - the signal to noise ratio on most such very public lists is appalling. If I were looking for baby stuff, I'd get a lot more out of it, but as it is, it's pretty grim.

[wolverine-nun.livejournal.com]

It's complicated. I have been guilty of getting involved in flame wars myself. It's driven by the very strong desire for someone who is clearly not seeing the wood for the trees to have sense driven into him. This is clearly stupid on my part but my rational understanding that the best response is total online silence is swamped by much more emotional side that feels (wrongly) that if I use just the right turn of phrase then the idiot might have an Aha moment and see the light.

Everyone thinks they are right, and they are basing it on something. Some feel that if you are on a forum and that forum has written rules then you need to follow them even when you don't want to. Others feel that there is a spirit that can be adhered to without adhering to the rules. (I suppose people will disagree as to the spirit too.) Both sides will feel completely in the right and shouting won't make it better. But both will feel that if they just shout loud enough then the other side will come to their senses :).

I suppose if people feel that the freecycle list (I'm not on it, so I'm guessing) embodies the spirit of friendly people helping one another out, then posting a wanted ad isn't out of place. After all, you're all friends there, right?

[egadfly.livejournal.com]

This is why you need a small group of owners/moderators, whose word is law. They decide if and how the rules apply, and that's final, and no-one else's mutterings are worth a damn. If you don't like it, you leave and start your own list. If the mods have any sense they will declare flame wars over the rules completely out of bounds and (after a warning) ban anyone who persists.

Purely social lists or boards can be free and open and will almost certainly be rich in wank. Lists with a purpose work best when that purpose is tightly defined. Consistency of control gives the community a fairly stable character, though it is likely to evolve over time.

It's dictatorial, but also libertarian because no-one has to be there and you can leave any time to start your own little kingdom.

I mostly avoid email lists and I've never subscribed to freecycle. From what you and bend_gules say, it sounds like the special hell.