I now act as postmaster for an informal discussion group. At the present
time I download over 600 e-mail messages a day. This takes time and dare
I say it money. Around 90% of the messages are from List Groups such as
Bee-L and end up being circulated to members for discussion. But not all
have Bee-Ls level of "noise".
 
I download headers first, compare the sender with a list, if a sender is
on this list, I delete without downloading. Sometimes "noise" gets
through. But rarely more than once. I have found that membership of the
"me too.. massive quote" brigade remains quite consistent. There are new
additions but once in nearly always in. Posters of irrelevant material
are in the main quite considerate and display much the same
characteristics. As far as misleading subject title is concerned that is
a problem, but again.....sender on list and ...header in the trash can.
There is one difficult problem which only a moderator can solve and its
best summed up by referring to the recent battle between "the scientists
and the self styled ?grunts!!" One or two of the participants normally
post useful stuff. But when the flames start! There are other criteria
but above are listed the main ones. Moderated groups are on the whole
are a treat to deal with......sometimes the moderator goes on holiday
and he/she leaves the gate open... every bull in the group heads for the
china shop. Tiresome!!! I would rather a moderator deal with all of the
above problems at his/her end of the business. Please do not
misunderstand what I am saying; yes anyone can exercise their right to
talk tripe, but I have the right not to listen. In total in unmoderated
groups from my experience at least over 45% of postings are not worth
downloading. In some it is even higher.
 
I commend this approach to you.
Is this effective?
Who complains about censorship?
Read on.
 
Membership in our local group like all other groups changes and, quite
often now, we have an influx of new faces. We get our share of the
"Freedom of Speech Fighters", well, freedom for this that and the next
thing including getting junk in their post box; as far as postmaster is
concerned they are the only ones interested in it. And the only ones who
cannot cope with it when they get it? The "Freedom of Speech Fighters".
They e-mail me to retake the task, hound me down corridors, grab me in
the common room, buying me a pint has even been done, some just
disappear from our group. Every time I give this to one of the FFs I end
up having to take stick from the more discerning members about the level
of junk they have to sift through. It used to be done on a rota basis
but after an analysis I was asked to take it on as a long term
commitment, (and by an ex-pat Ukrainian, he knows what censorship is and
moderation to him is not censorship).
 
Please do not misunderstand what I am saying: yes anyone can exercise
their right to talk tripe, but I have the right to exercise my option
not to listen. I am very happy on this occasion to give that right to a
moderator to exercise on my behalf.
 
If he should weaken.......I commend you adopt the above.
 
Regards,
 
David Graham.
 
PS
 
And another thing, trendy bee shaped signatures.................