[Nottingham] Too much traffic

[Iain Alexander]

I'm kinda sorry I started this thread: (only kind of though)

I've clearly really upset a lot of people. Perhaps it's merely that text
isnt' the best way to show emotions and I'm reading them wrongly? but it
seems to have riled a fair few people and for that I'm sorry.

However, I don't think the "My way or the Highway" approach is helpful
to anyone and does sort of highlight the dichotimy (spelling?) of the
linux user base: on the one hand there are a lot of really great
friendly helpful people, who give their time and knowledge for free and
are only too willing to help anyone with a problem. Clearly loving their
linux experience and hoping that others will follow by their own
example.

However there are also a number of linux/geek zealot who (IMO) resist
any change whatsoever, abhore any form of user friendliness and take
comment (not even cricism badly) offering the "this is the way it works
and if you don't like you can just f*ck off" attitude. The "get a better
mail client" or "get a faster connection" or "set up some mail filters"
might seem a helpful suggestion but it really isn't. It's not always
practical or possible to upgrade either of them, and in regard to mail
filters/threading, maybe some people just don't know how.

To me at least the mailing list seems quite high volume (compared to my
regular volume of email) and by association quite time consuming for me,
both to find and read the topics that interest me and also sieve thru
those that don't. I hoped that by mentioning my own thoughts it would
spark debate (which It certainly has) and ultimately that would lead to
a better solution (for my needs)

Clearly there are always going to be desenters and nay-sayers in any
group, but couldn't we just a sensible discussion without resorting to
childish attitudes. No one is personally attacking anyone's views or
beliefs, we're just talking about the possibility of better ways of
communicating with each other.