The Big SH1P Issue

[John Walton]

No: HPFGUIDX 14009

Allow me, as a non-shipping Moderator (well, okay, I'm fond of Harry/Draco,
but ::ahem::) to elaborate on our thinking. Contrary to public belief,
ladies and gents, we do actually think our actions through in a reasonable
way and talk about them over on the Moderators list. Once done, we run it by
the people writing the FAQs (our guineapigs, if you will) and if they don't
go "What? Are you INSANE?" then we implement the changes. We're real people
too (well, all but the wacko who thinks he's a CAR), and we realise that we
do make mistakes sometimes. However, we have thought the SHIP issue through,
and we're happy with the current system.

So...let me explain the SHIP issue and that system in more detail.

Q) Why don't you ban SHIP posts to a new SHIP list?

A) We're trying to balance maintaining a community feel on the list (which
we feel would suffer if we split into smaller lists) with allowing people to
filter messages they're not interested in -- which, by nature of a community
of 1000+ members, will happen. The SHIPpers are *very* good about making
sure their messages are properly headed with SHIP. I'd estimate there are
more "Digest #153" messages than mistitled SHIP posts. All you have to do is
have your email program filter SHIP posts into a different folder (the Trash
if you want) or into a different, less-noticeable color (perhaps gray?) in
case somebody puts the word "ship" in a non-SHIP post by mistake. Outlook
Express is a free program that does this very well indeed.

Dee said that her program "catch"es SHIP posts before they get into her box.
This means the system works! It's far easier and better for everyone if,
rather than having separate lists to subscribe to (which the Moderators must
police), people USE THE SUBJECT MARKERS. These are:

* ADMIN: Moderator or approved persons only please!
* FF: FanFiction -- discussing or recommending stories written in the HP
universe. Announcements of new chapters should be made to the
HPFGU-Announcements list by the author.
* SHIP: RelationSHIPping -- discussing which, if any, of the main characters
will have romantic relationships.
* MOVIE (or FILM): Discussion of the upcoming movie/film.
* [OT should no longer be used. Rather, OT posts should be moved to the
OTChatter list.]


Q) Can't the SHIP posts go to the new OTChatter list?

A) No, because they're not off-topic. Any topic which has a FAQ being
written is by nature on-topic. Therefore, SHIP debates are on-topic.


Q) ::whinge:: But there's so much volume! Why can't you stop them?

A) If you think there's too much SHIP volume, post something else! Talk
about ::shock, horror:: book-banning, the movie (about which there have
recently been a lot more posts than there have been SHIP posts), or any
other on-topic subject. Do not whine about there being subjects on the list
you're not interested in but do nothing to create other subjects. Besides,
the schoolbooks are out on Monday. :)


Q) But what should I DO?! My email, 'ee eez dying! ::melodramatic swoon::

A) To reduce your list volume, the Moderators have some suggestions:

1) Switch to web view. Many people use this handy feature and find it's
great not to have emails clogging up your box and system.
2) Use HPFGU-Announcements to keep up on the vital issues and set the main
HPforGrownups group to web-only.
3) Set up sorting rules in your email program to filter out posts you'd
rather skip.
4) Use the Digest form -- one big message instead of 25 little messages.
5) Make concrete suggestions (that means suggesting solutions to problems)
to the Moderators at hpforgrownups-owner at yahoogroups.com -- please don't
make your problem worse by cluttering up the main list with it.


ONE FINAL NOTE -- please refrain from creating additional lists in the style
of "HPFGU-ASubjectIDontLike". The Moderators have enough to do to sort
problems out without extra lists popping up out of nowhere. (::whisper:: It
makes Penny grouchy. This is a Bad Thing. Why, just today, she actually
started to eat a table, she was so grouchy. Neil and I are thinking of
buying her a trashcan and a green wig. [Just kidding there Penny. :)])

As ALWAYS, please feel free to email the Moderators with any suggestions for
improvements that could be made. We read and consider every suggestion in
detail -- for instance, the SUBJECT: headings were suggested to us by
someone in a chat! So write in!

Cheers,

--John, Moderator With Rock #47

__________________________________
The HPforGrownups Moderator Team
HPforGrownups-owner at yahoogroups.com

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