Some people, like Jeremy 'Loki' Blackman, have much more on their minds
than just simple e-mail. Just take a look at the following message:
The problem, if I recall correctly, was that White Wolf was feeling
overloaded. He felt the list needed more moderation, but was at the same
time feeling that he couldn't even maintain the level of moderation he was
participating in at the time.
If I'm not misremembered (WW or someone, correct me if I'm wrong), it
basically came down to the list was either going to go away or get a new
moderator other than WW. (Leaving it unmoderated is not realistically an
option - this was right after a time period where the FFML was getting
multiple hundreds of messages a day. In addition to killing people's
mailboxes, I believe this was when fanfic.com still ran off two 28.8k PPP
links - the FFML was barely able to -deliver- all the mail.) I believe an
existing subscriber offered to take over and got the 'Tybalt' account and
identity.
Well, This was Tybalt's first post as moderator:
-------BEGIN REPOST-------
Resent-Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 16:50:49 -0400
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 16:50:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tybalt <tybalt@tendo-dojo.ranma.net>
To: fanfic@fanfic.com
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970523164757.5250B-100000@tendo-dojo.ranma.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Resent-From: fanfic@fanfic.com
X-Mailing-List: <fanfic@fanfic.com> archive/latest/36756
X-Loop: fanfic@fanfic.com
Precedence: list
Resent-Sender: fanfic-request@fanfic.com
Subject: [FFML] [ADMIN] READ THIS. New Spam Policy
Status: U
To answer your first question, yes, the Admin tag is
normally for WW only. I've been given the authority to use it.
In the past few days, there have been a number of
destructive threads, an almost record number of people
quitting due to the spamload, and problems in list function
resulting partly from traffic. This state of affairs has
become intolerable, and steps have been taken. The FFML, as
of now, is semi-moderated.
What does this mean? Not a whole lot, really. You will
continue to post as you normally would, and messages will
be sent to the list without needing to be approved. But now,
you will be both expected and required to adhere to the rules
regarding spam.
What is spam? Tough question. Let's first deal with what
_isn't_.
<WHAT IS SPAM HAS BEEN SNIPPED>
Have a nice day.
- Tybalt, FFML Moderator
"It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I'll not endure him."
-------END REPOST-------
After this was posted, the message count per day dropped by something
like HALF!
So it does NOT boil down to 'who's the better moderator, White Wolf or
Tybalt', since WW was overloaded and would not moderate anymore. It boils
down to 'which is better, having Tybalt moderate this list or having the
list shut down.'
Personally, I can live with Tybalt. I've even occasionally exchanged
good-humored e-mails with him - anyone who can give a cheerful response
when you poke idle fun at a random typo that makes an unintentional pun
can't be all that bad, right?
Well, he does have his trademarked "Have a nice day" phrase which he ends
most of his e-mails with. But I got into trouble with him for joking
about how I was going to flood this list with pointless SPAM. It was
perhaps a stupid thing to do, but I figured that someone with his
profession would HAVE to have a sense of humor.
I've been (and am, on a different list) a moderator before - on a list
this size, it'd be a horrendous job, and I think Tybalt should be
applauded for dealing with it for this long; many people would've given
up by now.
Well, I know I would NEVER want to be a moderator. It would be hell, I'm
sure. But if I were, I think I would do it differently then Tybalt does.
I, for one, would do less lurking then he, and if someone gave me a good
excuse for not banning them, I would listen to it. Tybalt went easy on
that phoney e-virus post, and I think he should have. Not everyone knows
knows the rules, even if they read the faq. There are ignorant people out
there who will believe anything. And (s)he wasn't the only person who
fell for it. I received two other messages about the 'PEN-PAL' virus in
recent months. (How they found their way to me, I do not know.)
I know lists can be expensive. I don't know how much WW and Tybalt pay to
keep the list up. But Damon Casale, who runs the SPAM-ML, pays approx.
$90 bucks a month, and that list is not nearly as active as this one. I
don't know if this list uses a T1 or ISDN or cable or what, but it
probably cost quite a bit just to keep this list connected. One of these
days, WW is going to start charging fees to use this list. :)
I wonder what Tybalt will do when he sees this thread when he gets back.
I'll be banned for sure.
------------------------
|----------------------|
||Dustin Goeller ||
||stinky@azstarnet.com||
|----------------------|
------------------------
If you can come up with a lamer sig than this,
please e-mail me. I'd like to have it!