X-Message-Number: 6877
From: 
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 02:43:06 -0400
Subject: CryoNet S/N and CryoNet Software

In message #6864 Thomas Donaldson () said:
> I am writing to second, third, fourth, and 2^32 power the suggestion by 
> Ken Greenwood that the backbiting posts be consigned to another area. You
> get to work out what it would be called. And yes, I think it's done a lot
> to give cryonics a bad name, at least among some. 

Before moving CryoNet to cryonet.org we had a "CRYONICS.POLITICS"
thread, which often (but not always) was a useful mechanism for
directing the more inflamatory postings to a separate mailing list,
to which people could subscribe independently of the main CryoNet list.
(Those messages reside in the archives as the "0014.*" messages.)
Such a subsidiary list has not been created at cryonet.org mainly
because the simplest implementation, a second majordomo list, would
cost more money (probably $7.50 per month) as well as administrative
and programming overhead.  Another reason is that, until recently,
we didn't have much demand for such a list, or the demand was always
short-lived.  Perhaps now the situation has changed?

Before exploring that further, I want to recap for the archives
what I have done to the CryoNet software lately, along with some
of my thoughts about the situation.  (My previous notices were
in the "header" part of the digests and thus did not enter the
CryoNet archives.)  First, my thanks to the people who made
suggestions for how to augment the administration of CryoNet to
handle persistent (and anonymous) trolling, which now has evolved
to public back-biting.  My apologies for not replying personally
to all your good suggestions.

Of course, the most obvious solution is to ignore the streams
of inflamatory posts.  Experience in other forums facing a
similar situation indicates that when trolling consistently
fails to produce the desired indignant reaction, the trolling
eventually ceases.  However, that solution has not proven
palatable to the people on CryoNet.

Perhaps the most effective of the suggestions I received required
someone to assume the role of moderator.  Unfortunately, the
cost / benefit analysis of that option did not forecast a viable
market at this time. :-(  More complex schemes are still possible,
such as using teams of anonymous moderators, but I will allow the
originator of that idea to elaborate upon it if he chooses.

So what have I done and what has it accomplished?  I did the quick
and easy thing, automatically filtering out messages that are not
from addresses subscribed to the mailing list.  (Actually, it's not
quite that simple, because there are a number of problems with that
idea and I have attempted to remedy some of them.)  This was intended
to be an experiment, while something better was devised, but I have
so far failed to create anything better at cryonet.org.

What is the result of this software change?  "Mr. Anonymous PooPoo"
has ceased trolling CryoNet, but the level of rancor on the list
often remains high, due to the backbiting Thomas Donaldson refers to
in his message.  This situation reminds me of a problem that LiberNet
faced years ago.  There were some issues, such as abortion, for which
no amount of argumentation ever solved anything.  People just had their
minds made up and any attempt to discuss the issue only resulted in a
protracted flame war.  The proposed solution was "don't talk about abortion".

We could do something like that on CryoNet.  It could even be automated.
(Just zap any message containing the word "abortion", for instance.)
But some subjects _do_ need to be hashed out, even if unpleasant, and
it's not clear to me how one reliably distinguishes no-win issues,
that could reasonably be considered "off-list", from issues that we
need to discuss.

> Personally I would suggest that we don't try to stifle such stuff
> entirely, but simply have another place for it --- say Cryonet.Personal.

Perhaps something like a "CRYONICS.POLITICS" thread is indeed the
best solution we have yet devised.  People usually know when their
postings will be perceived as inflamatory.  By providing a simple
way to designate one's message as "POLITICS", "PERSONAL", or whatever,
we can let the software do the rest.

We could even take it a step further and provide a mailing list
equivalent of the Biotech Rumor Mill "http://www.tradesmart.com/rumor/",
which offers anonymous posting of biotech-related rumors.  We could
call it the "Cryonics Rumor Mill".  ("Mr. Anonymous PooPoo" could
have lots of fun there.)

Of course, that still leaves open the issue of the cost, in both
time and money, for a second mailing list, and whether developing
it and coordinating it with CryoNet in an intelligent way will be
worth that cost.  There may be simple workarounds, but none of the
schemes I can think of at 2:30 AM EDT have nearly as much appeal
as getting some sleep, so I'd better stop here.  Cheap, simple,
effective, and generally palatable solutions are requested (again).
A clear, unambiguous statement of the problem to be solved would
help, too. :-)

    Kevin Q. Brown
    
    

  The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
  possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.
  --James Branch Cabell


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