X-Message-Number: 12523 Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 10:14:52 -0700 From: Tim Freeman <> Subject: Reading cryonet quickly and peacefully Here's a quick technique I use to skip over cryonet messages I don't want to read. Rule 1: If the subject doesn't say what it's about, skip it. Rule 2: If the subject mentions someone's name, skip it. I learned rule 2 from years of reading netnews. The principle is that tit-for-tat arguments really aren't interesting except for the participants. For example, applying these heuristics to the most recent cryonet gives this: I skiped the following: #12516: Re: CryoNet #12503 - #12504 [John W Perry] #12517: for Doug Skrecky, about the future [Thomas Donaldson] #12518: to Charles Platt, if he's listening [Thomas Donaldson] The next one passed rule 1 but failed rule 2. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and read it: #12519: Joseph1 had a good idea about meetings [Thomas Donaldson] The next one passed the tests, but I didn't read it because the subject line says all I need to know. (Thanks, Doug, for doing a good job with your subject lines.) #12520: diethylene glycol monomethyl ether is relatively nontoxic [Doug Skrecky] -- Tim Freeman http://www.infoscreen.com/resume.html Web-centered Java, Perl, and C++ programming in Silicon Valley or offsite Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12523