On Fri, 12 Feb 1993 20:21:06 PST John Schonholtz said:
>I was not the least bit pissed, although I got it twice, and I
>frankly don't understand why anyone should be.
 
   I guess I  wasn't clear: I wasn't  pissed either (and I  didn't say I
was.  What I said is that I was nice about it, and if *you* were pissed,
the YOU part meaning anyone else but me).
 
   As for why  anyone should be, consider  if it is sent to  a list that
has no real connection to it.  But, read on ...
 
>The message in question was a list of papers (available by ftp)
>concerning the setting up of e-mail networks in third-world countries.
>It was forwarded to a large number of e-mail lists devoted to some
>particular country or countries in the third world.  There was
>nothing commercial about it--Larry Press was forwarding this as
>a service to the readers of the lists, not because he was trying
>to sell something or give maximum distribution to his political or
>religious views.
 
   I  was not  aware that  a mass  mailing had  to be  of a  commercial,
religious, or political nature to be  "annoying" or "off topic".  I have
no problem  if the topic fits  your list - it  does not fit the  2 of my
lists, in  my opinion,  and I  wasn't asked  about if  my list  would be
appropriate beforehand, before you ask me  that.  That's what upset me -
that the person seemed  to pick a whole bunch of lists  and send to them
out of  the blue.  I  think it would have  been better, for  example, to
write to the  listowners and say, hey,  I have this nifty  service and I
would  like to  publicize  it, so  how  can  I best  do  that with  your
audience?  Maybe  I am  the only  one who has  some respect  for thought
before  I start  something  that  will apparently  go  on  and on  (i.e.
publicizing the service) when better options may exist.
 
   Let me be clear  - I have no problem with  anyone providing a service
to readers of lists, and I did not find the particular post offensive at
all for content.
 
>Since attaining and achieving e-mail connectivity to the countries
>involved is one of the most popular topics on CENTAM-L (and probably
>most of the other lists it went to), this seems to me entirely appro-
>priate.  Mass mailings are not always wrong.
 
   You are most correct in saying that  they are not always wrong, and I
didn't say they were - let me be clear about that too.
 
   I will certainly give Larry credit  for trying to pick out lists that
he thought appropriate.
 
>John Schonholtz                                 [log in to unmask]
 
   For my lists (not that anyone asked) I routinely take the time to put
this type of information in my WELCOME file (a pointer AND instructions)
and even sometimes put  some of the info in files  in a FILELIST.  Then,
people who want  info can AFD/FUI, and/or  a message can be  sent to the
list from time to time (not every change if it happens EXTREMELY often).
 
   But hey, who am I to think that anyone else would do this, eh?
 
   I would welcome Larry's info in this fashion for my lists.
 
   So,  sorry Larry  (the  sender of  the original  post)  for being  so
self-centered in my thinking of how list owners run lists.
 
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