Goodbye - some parting observations

[DW <dwaller%tsegw -dot- tse -dot- com -at- UUNET -dot- CA>]

Unfortunately I am having to leave the list due to time constraints.
Although I have only been "subscribing" now for a few months, I can see how
valuable the list can be.  I have a few observations to leave with you (
either to ignore or give some thought to), to help improve the
"cost/benefit" of the list.

The starting background was an article the other week predicting problems
for the Internet due to the tremendous increase in traffic, coupled with a
reduction in academic and government funding for facilities.

I have frequently observed people:

- unnecessarily repeating the whole body of the message to which they are
replying
- continuing to provide general (ie to the list) answers to a question that
has already been effectively answered by someone else
- replying to the list when clearly a reply to the individual is more
appropriate
- continuing to misuse a subject heading for mail that has long since spun
off onto another track (making it difficult to select mail to read by
Subject Line)
- using the list as a soapbox for social commentary and personal peeves
- replying before checking any facts ( .... I think that XX means .....)
- mixing up good technical writing "stuff", with a variety of off-topic
items, inc personal "bun-fights".
- using the list to answer very simple questions that can easily be answered
through a little  bit of effort (usually involving simply buying a "primer"
in the area of discussion).

In short, I would guess that approximately 25-30% of the mail on the list
these days is "meaty" enough to lose productive work time to read.

I realise that the lack of order on the Net is one of its most attractive
features, but I think we all bear a responsibiity to use it wisely.  For
example,most of us enjoy humour, but it may be better to segregate it onto a
separate list that people can peruse at their leisure.

Good bye; thanks and good luck