The Syndication list now has a code of conduct. This apparently small event could change the way the RSS community works, in a good way. It gave me an idea on the long plane flight from NY to Denver yesterday. Should we codify the idea, perhaps with the help of lawyers, to be a charter that any mail list can adopt? Say what's allowed and not, and be sure everyone who subscribes sees it. [Scripting News]
Interesting idea, though I am not sure that codifing the rules would help. Many email lists have similar rules. This set is a little less fuzzy, which may be useful for an end user.
The problem with this approach is that it really only works if you have one person making the decisions. A committee can't separate wheat from chaff. Even with one person deciding, the rules must be very specific. But as soon as the rules are specific, people will push the boundaries. If you try to control the boundaries, you get slammed on Free Speech (even though the list is private and controled)
Any form of moderation on an email list is a nightmare. You can only hope to control attacks by pointing out that if the attacker continues then the list will be destroyed. It is like convincing a parasite that what they are doing is wrong.
Moderating unmoderated email lists is a special kind of hell.
12:32:13 PM 
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