Re: post-moderating this list

[Sergei Steshenko]

----- Original Message -----
> From: Stephen Montgomery-Smith <address@hidden>
> To: address@hidden
> Cc: 
> Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 7:03 PM
> Subject: Re: post-moderating this list
> 
> On 12/21/12 09:46, Sergei Steshenko wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>>  From: Francesco Potortì <address@hidden>
>>>  To: Octave users list <address@hidden>
>>>  Cc:
>>>  Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 3:13 PM
>>>  Subject: post-moderating this list
>>> 
>>>  I'll try to make this a more structured proposal.
>>> 
>>>  In the last years, traffic on this least has increased, which is a good
>>>  sign.  However, discussions who used to be focused on Octave with very
>>>  rare off-topic threads are now often becoming tit-for-tats, annoying to
>>>  most of us and time-consuming for the developers.
>>> 
>>>  I propose to introduce post-moderation.
>>> 
>>>  For example, this can be implemented by having three post-moderators.
>>>  If two of three agree and the third one does not veto, a poster who 
> goes
>>>  off-track or who indulges in Octave or free software bashing will be
>>>  gently and privately invited to stop after few offending posts.  If the
>>>  poster's behaviour does not change after the second warning, the
>>>  moderators will propose a one-month ban of the poster to the list
>>>  owners.
>>> 
>>>  I volunteer to be one of the three moderators, or even a moderator for
>>>  some variation of the above proposal.
>>> 
>>>  --
>>>  Francesco Potortì (ricercatore)        Voice:  +39.050.315.3058 
> (op.2111)
>>>  ISTI - Area della ricerca CNR          Mobile: +39.348.8283.107
>>>  via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa         Skype:  wnlabisti
>>>  (entrance 20, 1st floor, room C71)     Web:    http://fly.isti.cnr.it
>> 
>> 
>>  Your proposal is _very_ consistent with authoritarian guru-controlled 
> structures behavior. From the link I recently posted:
>> 
>> 
> http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-11-29/ayn-rand-was-not-libertarian :
>> 
>>  "
>>  In a development eerily reminiscent of the organized hatred directed
>>  against the arch-heretic Emanuel Goldstein in Orwell’s 1984, Rand cultists 
> were required to sign a loyalty oath to Rand; essential to the loyalty oath 
> was 
> a declaration that the signer would henceforthnever read any future works of 
> the 
> apostate and arch-heretic Branden [Rand's number 2]. After the split, any 
> Rand cultist seen carrying a
>>  book or writing by Branden was promptly excommunicated.
>>  "
>> 
>>  - the "excommunicated" is/means banned.
>> 
>> 
>>  And from http://freedomofmind.com/Info/infoDet.php?id=250 :
>> 
>>  "
>>  People whose power is based on the surrender of others
>>  develop a repertoire of techniques for deflecting and undermining
>>  anything that questions or challenges their status, behavior,
>>  or beliefs. They ridicule or try to confuse people who ask challenging
>>  questions.” (p.66)
>>  "
>> 
>>  - yes, the status and _behavior_ (e.g. a burst of GPL propaganda instead of 
> addressing the real problems) _is_ challenged, and you _react_ to this 
> challenge.
>> 
>> 
>>  I have a much more general and far going proposal.
>> 
>>  I suggest to intensify work on GPL4, and the very first freedom granted by 
> the license should be the obligation of GPL4 SW users to send to FSF and GNU 
> a 
> notary signed pledge of allegiance in support of FSF/GNU/GPL cause.
>> 
>>  GPL4 should also grant unlimited discretionary irrevocable freedom to list 
> owners to decide who violates the pledge of allegiance.
>> 
>> 
>>  Regards,
>>     Sergei.
> 
> Hi Sergei,
> 
> This is the octave-help mailing list.  It should be a place where people 
> ask technical questions about how to get octave to work properly in 
> their environment.  It should be a friendly place, something like the 
> front desk of a car mechanics shop.  You should feel greeted by friendly 
> people, with good people skills.  The grumpy mechanics, who might 
> otherwise be very talented, should be relegated to the back room.  We 
> should recognize that while they may be very important, and in some 
> cases do much of the real work, nevertheless they should not be in the 
> front office greeting customers.
> 
> Sergei - I do find a lot of your posts actually quite interesting.  But 
> let me suggest that octave-help is not the place to make your opinions 
> known.  Or rather, it is OK to make your opinions known, but maybe one 
> or two times is enough.
> 
> There are forums where people can argue about things like the legitimacy 
> of GPL licenses, and whether it is really free or not.  And your 
> comments about the inadequacies of the American education system have a 
> lot of merit.
> 
> But, please, let the octave-help people go.  If nothing else, just as a 
> matter of courtesy.  Just so that they can give and receive friendly and 
> helpful advice without a huge amount of noise in the background.
> 
> If this mailing list decides to ban people from the list for repetitive 
> obnoxious behavior, I have no problem with that.  If this were an 
> opinion group I would feel very differently, and I would defend your 
> right to state your points, even if I greatly disagreed with you.  But 
> this is not an opinion forum.  It is a help forum.
> 
> Best regards,
> Stephen
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Help-octave mailing list
> address@hidden
> https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/help-octave
>


It is the Octave developers - _not_ me, who "great" users with GPL propaganda  
and not friendly suggestions.

So, whom are you preaching to ?

And I am seriously thinking of exposing what the "leading" Octave developer is 
saying "behind the closed doors" - to show "friendliness" and real subversion 
of the very principles of FOSS movement.


So, if the propaganda stops, opposition to it will stop too.


Regards,
  Sergei.