Michael
I don't wish to get into another of those push and shove contests that I had
with you last year, but would you care to tell us all why the poster *
should *, in your opinion, have asked his question elsewhere ? Yes, it is a
basic question, and yes, the group that you cite would be a valid place to
ask that question, but no more so than here. This person regularly posts on
this group, and I see no problem with his asking this question here. He has
received a number of valid replies, and no one bar you, is objecting to the
simple nature of the question.
I can remember when sci.electronics was the newsgroup, with only
sci.electronics.repair as a separate group. I don't recall it being too busy,
but it was getting there, and some decided it was worth splitting, so they
went through the process, and it passed, so now we have a slew of newsgroups
instead of just sci.electronics
In other words, it was decided to break things down into more specific and
manageable sub-groups.
Once again, see Mark Zenier's guide to the hierarchy at
ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/m/mzenier/seguide9706.txt
Mark was one of the main people to take care of the process of
splitting sci.electronics, it was back in 1995 or maybe 96.
By your process, you might as well have One Big Newsgroup, so every one
sees everything that people are posting. The problem is that it would
be way too cumbersome, so instead we have all kinds of newsgroups that
are devoted to smaller and smaller specialties.
The notion that newsgroups are places where people "hang out" is a dangerous
one. Because once you start letting people ask off-topic questions simply
because they "know the other posters", then it's just a small leap until
all kinds of off-topic stuff is posted. Witness sci.electronics.design
where not only are there too many beginner's questions (and no, that's
not superiority, it's a case of the regulars there taking the questions too
literally and thus not supplying a proper answer to a beginner, and too
often we are seeing people posting there simply because it has more traffic
than the other newsgroups, which the split was about avoiding), but first we
had the weather reports and then the Girl Guide reports and then just about
anything goes. It's simply a case of some people deciding it's a hang out,
but instead of hanging out to discuss the topic at hand, they never go
anywhere else, instead discussing all their off-topic matters there, rather
than moving to a newsgroup where such discussions fit. There are plenty of
places where the other topics fit, and indeed there are plenty of newsgroups
where "community" fits, like all those local newsgroups. Don't ever forget
that these newsgroups travel the world, and for the rest of us, we
aren't interested in reading about politics or seeing ads or
some other location specific post that has little relevance to the rest
of us; if we wanted to read such things, we'd go to the appropriate
newsgroups. And that's no different from seeing someone asking about
building something in a repair newsgroup; some of us do happen to
read both newsgroups, but that is secondary to the fact that we are
reading each for two different purposes.
The same thing with the too common cross-posting, people shotgunning
their question around because they can't be bothered to find the most
appropriate newsgroup. It does not work in their favor, because people
like me do think carefully about replying to something cross-posted,
so the poster may not get an answer that they would have gotten if
they posted to the right newsgroup in the first place. And yes,
I will think twice about replying to a question in the wrong newsgroup,
and indeed from now on I will pay even more attention to this matter.
And so if I tell someone they should ask it elsewhere, that would
be the only way they'll get an answer from me, by moving to the right
newsgroup.
And sci.electronics.design is just a way station. I can recall when it
started heading that way, and I could point you to newsgroups where it
is far worse, where any time someone asks an on-topic question, it very
quickly dissolves into the handful of regulars talking among themselves,
too often in a competition to see who can have the wittiest comment. If
you think someone telling someone else to post somewhere else where it
is more appropriate is being "superior", then just wait till this newsgroup
devolves to the point where a handful of regulars have decided the newsgroup
is not what the charter says it's for, but for their own personal space.
I should point out that Michael is not imposing his will on this matter,
simply following how the sci.electronics.* hierarchy is supposed to work.
I should point out that Mark Zenier used to post the guidelines on a regular
basis, until someone gave him flack for it, at which point he stopped. Is
should point out that Clifton Sharpe used to make a point of pointing out
that ads didn't belong, and while I don't know if he lost interest or
felt driven off, but it's been some years since I can recall seeing a
post of his. I know I've pointed out quite blatant advertising or
off-topic posts sometimes over the years, but even though it does work,
because it helps to ensure that others don't follow the bad examples,
it's not something that gets rewarded, and it's easier to stop doing it
than continue. And then the newsgroups start sliding towards uselessness,
and by the time it becomes really blatant, it's too late because too many
of the good posters have left.
Michael
