J. Paul Sheridan, III wrote:
 
> Help me.
 
Oh, dear.
 
> I've got this very inane thread going on in one of my lists.  What's the
> politest way to shut it down?
 
Gad.  <laughter>  Been there, done that.  Perhaps I'm not the right person to
answer, since I just snapped my temper on *my* list and told an obstreperous
subscriber said list was for adults and scholars, implying rather nastily that he
was neither.  Oh, *charming*, Rups, what an example you're setting!  <sigh>
 
Anyway: keep your sense of humour, and with it agree that it's been fun and all
that, but perhaps it's time to return to topic.  Then reiterate what the topic is
supposed to be (if you don't have a list charter, with topic firmly defined and
guidelines / rules set, perhaps you'd better get to it), and suggest a final
"frenzy of inanity" before a certain deadline, after which the inane topic will
be closed.  Something along those lines?  Or counterpost, and get whatever
friends you have on that list to do the same, in such a fashion that you either
pointedly tie the inane thread back to the list topic, or that you distract
people onto a new thread.  That is actually a good beginning tactic, but it takes
longer and, as I said, it helps if you're not the only one.  The value of a
behind-the-scenes conspiracy cannot be overestimated, in my opinion.
 
Mario Rups
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