Desperate measures

[john at walton.to]

Folks, time for some more input from you all to help the poor Moderators 
decide what to do with you all ::grin:: 

 
> AH!  I forgot to mention that, Dr. Pam... one of the rules over at KS 
> is "one post a day--if you post twice, you had better have a darn 
> good reason".  So people combine everything they want to say into a 
> Rita-like post (grins at our Catlady).
> 
> I think posting restrictions have been discussed at HP4GU before, but 
> then nixed because some don't like the digest-like posting.  I do, 
> though... I like Rita's and Amy Z's combination posts which are 
> usually filled with insights on various things.
> 
> Personally, I think it's an excellent idea.  In three years of KS 
> membership, I've never been subjected to a string of "me too" posts.

I have to say that I like this idea, and it's a great one for other lists 
(and is in place on several where I'm a member) but that it would never work 
on HPFGU -- there are too many threads going at once, and it would wreak 
havoc on all forms of threading to have a situation where people replied to 
all the posts of a day at once.

Moreover, from a purely moderating point of view, who the heck is going to 
keep track of 2000 members' one-post-a-day limit -- or even five-posts-a-day 
limit.

More sensible, methinks, is...

> Perhaps we can also institute a way that people can join
>> the list but not be able to post for the first two weeks?  Sort of 
> an forced lurker status that might do a couple of things:  first, let 
> the> new person look in on the group and have the opportunity to 
> observe and> learn the culture before they join the circle; second, 
> to let the person> take a look at the group to see if they belong 
> here.  It seems to me> that a lot od the complaints about the group 
> being unfriendly or elitist> stems from a poor fit between the new 
> member and the group.  A lot of> the younger members are simply not 
> temperamentally suited to this kind> of group and perhaps they are 
> expecting an entirely different kind of> experience.  They come 
> running in with their mouths open and talking a> mile a minute before 
> they realize that oops, maybe that ain't what it> all about here.  
> They then react with defensiveness and hostility.  A> forced lurk 
> will give them a chance to listen (something you can't do
>> while talking) and to see if this is the experience that they want.
>> From there they can either choose to stay or to leave.

I think that this is a great idea -- put newbies on "Moderated Status" for a 
week or so. (Two weeks is probably a bit much, methinks.) Alternatively, we 
could Moderate them until they make a good post to the list that follows all 
the guidelines. Enough people have volunteered to become additional List 
Elves to make this workable. Does anybody have particular objections to this 
idea? Don't feel afraid to speak up now :)

> Also a great idea... but isn't that just general Netiquette?  One 
> ought to lurk a bit or at least read the past 50-100 posts at mininum 
> before plunging in.

I couldn't agree more -- unfortunately, not enough people *do* that. Our 
mission at the moment is to ensure that people do observe the netiquette of 
the list, and that's why I'm very strongly for the "period of moderation" 
idea.

Good luck to Dr Pam with her party :D

--John, who has just bought a delightful new Apple iBook (with DVD and CD-RW, 
ooh) but has yet to bring his signature files over from the old computer so 
there's no amusing siggy. Sorry.