Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ginosko!usc!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!dveditz
From: dveditz@dbase.UUCP (Dan Veditz)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Yet another thing smart feeders can do
Message-ID: <280@dbase.UUCP>
Date: 20 Oct 89 19:12:26 GMT
References: <35837@looking.on.ca> <784@philmtl.philips.ca>
Reply-To: dveditz@dbase.UUCP (Dan Veditz)
Organization: Ashton Tate Devlopment Center Glendale, Calif.
Lines: 35

Ray Dunn writes (heavy on the sarcasm):
  - In addition to only allowing articles with specific poster _names_, the
  - automatic moderator software should also use a list of allowable _subjects_.
  - 
  - While implementing that feature, it would be unfortunate if the
  - opportunity to include only approved _ideas_ and _opinions_ was not added as
  - well.
  - 
  - [Frankly, I can't express how disgusting I found that elitist proposal]

Brad was proposing a *tool* to help cut down some of the work moderators
must do.  Moderators currently *DO* reject articles with subjects inappropriate
for the group, with topics that have been rehashed many times, or with
objectionable content (flames and the like).

Do you object to moderators?

If you agree that moderators are useful--or even necessary--in some cases
then something like the proposed tool could help them do their jobs.  If a 
moderator turns into a despotic censor then an unmoderated group will probably
be formed, perhaps even in alt.* to avoid a vote.  (Or, for example, 
alt.sys.sun was formed when the delay induced by an overworked moderator 
of comp.sys.sun was too long for some people to wait).

Brad's proposed tool would create semi-moderated groups.  In one version
the moderator keeps a list of people trusted to post in good taste, and
in the other version it is a list of people who have shown that their
postings may require good ol' hand moderating.  Note that it WAS NOT
a "Kill" file that automatically junks articles, it regulated the number
of articles the moderator had to give personal attention to.

The proposal was no more "elitist" than any other moderator scheme.

-Daniel Veditz    
uunet!ashtate!dveditz