desktop-request%plaid@sun.com (07/17/87)
There have been a few changes to the way the desktop publishing list
has been handled recently, and I wanted to let people know what's going on.
First, the headers have been changed around to bring them more in line
with what other mailings lists and moderated groups are doing. This
should make it easier to contact the poster (instead of having their
mail sent to me where it might or might not end up where it belongs --
or possibly get posted accidently). If you have any problems with the
new headers, let me know.
I've also cleaned up the signature hassles a bit for folks on USENET.
As it currently stands, postings are made to comp.text.desktop as I get
them, and are batched up to go to the mailing list. The mailing list
is processed in the morning -- I'm trying to limit the list to no more
than three messages a day (15/week) all sent out in a batch. If this
starts backing things up I will either increase that to four or five or
possibly add an afternoon batch, depending on how bad things are (the
last couple of days, for instance, had an afternoon batch, since I was
out of the office for a couple of days). I want to avoid going to a
digested mailing list if at all possible, since most of the people on
the list that I've talked to don't want one -- as long as traffic stays
below about 25 messages/week, I think this is reasonable.
One request I have of everyone: PLEASE be careful where you send
things. I've been getting mail to my account that was supposed to be
posted, mail to my account in response to messages I posted, mail to
desktop and desktop-request that should have come to my account (or
directly to the real poster). On a couple of occasions, something got
posted that was intended to be private mail because of all this
confusion, so I need help keeping things straight. Fixing the headers
should help immeasurably, but please take the time to make sure you're
sending the stuff to the right place. As a quick primer, here are the
various addresses that should be used:
o desktop: for messages to be posted to the group ONLY. No
administrivia (on or off the mailing list or messages to the
moderator). I'm going to filter this address indefinitely, because
there are still large numbers of people who haven't figured it out.
Starting now, any administrative requests sent to this list will be
sent back asking the sender to send it to the right place -- this is
the only way I can figure out how to teach folks the right way of
doing things, even though it costs me time and makes me read the
message twice.
o desktop-request: administrivia. getting on or off the list, yelling
at the moderator, asking the moderator questions, making suggestions,
or letting me know things off the record.
Starting now, if you send a posting to desktop-request I'll send it
back telling you to send it to desktop. Same rationale as above.
o chuq: this is the real me. Please don't use it unless you have
to -- desktop and desktop-request are special mailboxes that allow me
to look at messages at leisure. If it comes into this mailbox, I
have to figure out that it isn't work related and can be deferred.
Starting now, stuff sent to this address will be considered private
mail, even if you intended it to be sent to the list. It may or may
not get a reply, or a suggestion to send it to the right place. I
can't always tell in these things, and I don't want to repeat the
problems of posting private mail. So if I get it at a private
address, it stays private.
If you're trying to reply to the poster of a message, please do so
directly, not through me. With the new headers, this should work
most of the time. If you for some reason can't contact the real
poster, send the message to desktop-request and ask that it be
forwarded, and I will when I get a chance. I don't generally have the
time to be a forwarding service -- with the new headers I don't think
I need to.
In general, the group has well exceeded my expectations, and has continued
to pass along good information. Keep up the good work, folks! The group,
by the way, is almost a year old, and larger/stronger than ever -- both
of which are generally rarities on USENET where mailing lists or moderated
groups die off after the gloss wears out a couple of months after creation.
Everyone on the list should be complimented for helping make this a useful,
growing, and positive place to be! thanks!
chuq (the moderator)
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Submissions to: desktop%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop
Administrivia to: desktop-request%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop-request
Paths: {ihnp4,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sunchuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (08/18/87)
Moderator's note: due to an impending vacation, the desktop publishing
group will be going on a short haitus. Mail sent to desktop will be queued
for my return, and I'll flush the backlog as soon as I can. I'll be
away from computers (yay! yippee!) for two weeks between the 22nd of August
and Labor day -- expect Desktop back the second week in September.
chuq
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Submissions to: desktop%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop
Administrivia to: desktop-request%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop-request
Paths: {ihnp4,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun