Re: AB's comments on April Fools RFCs (was Call for Review of draft-iab-styleguide-01.txt, "RFC Style Guide")

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On 3/7/14 4:36 PM, Dave Crocker wrote:
So, for example:

Folks, this thread is repetitious and does not appear to have any productive content. Please stop congesting the list with postings on this thread.


In fact, wg chairs or list moderators sometimes explicitly declare a thread closed. Any of us can make a public request to the same effect.

As Randy rightly said, this is *not* simple. Depending on the context (including the perceived seniority of the person doing the posting and the controversy of the topic being discussed), even saying something like, "This thread is repetitious and does not appear to have productive content" in public can be (perceived or truly) simply a passive-aggressive attempt to shut down a real and serious discussion. The characterization of a discussion as "repetitious" and "unproductive" by any random of member of the community can be problematic.

Sending a private email to someone who keeps getting drawn into a silly discussion (and preferably someone with whom you agree) to remind them to not get wound up is a good plan. Asking someone like the list moderator or chair (or someone who we all agree has been given the responsibility to keep such things in check) to please step in is also a good plan. But taking it upon yourself to publicly control others is dicey. Not simple.

pr

--
Pete Resnick<http://www.qualcomm.com/~presnick/>
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. - +1 (858)651-4478





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