Inappropriate tone on this mailing list and requirement for governance

[Barry Smith]

Hi, Lorenzo, and other ubuntu-users members.

I am mostly a lurker and an archive scanner by practice, in that I
don't post that often.

I had to look up Godwin's Law, but I read this whole thread.

Comments --
While I am not a "list-responder" or "expert on Ubuntu", I am a Ubuntu
"power user",
doing admin installs and coding, etc.

I am the type of person who will post from another workstation because
I have hosed up menu.lst , and can't figure out how to get back to
Ubuntu or Windows, and my original post may use EVERY word on Carlin's
list of words that can't be said on TV.

These words should be listed somewhere (in ?CoC?), and "substring"
filtering should be used.  "head" is not on the list, but the
non-hyphenated word before "head" may be on the list.

The takeaway of this point for this discussion (and my simple
suggestion) is that original posts (not replies) should NOT be
filtered.  While this concept will allow many first posts from
frazzled user/admins who are completely beyond the edges of their mind
while writing their original posts and are trying to write a post from
another computer (possibly), it will not allow replies to the message
(unless the reply is scraped carefully and peacefully by the wonderful
helpful people on this list).

The idea of a grey-list is awesome.

An M,N scheme where
= M means that you --
     - are grey-listed,
     - can't post, and
     - are told automatically everytime you try
     until a list-admin resets your ability to post... and
= N where you are banned from the list auto-programmatically.

One point to think about -- if "ass" in in the badword list, should it
also match A.s.S. or any substring created after punctuation is
removed?  Moderation, and automated scanning, should include the full
string that was surrounded by whitespace and punctuation where the
match for a "badword" was found, along with the badword matched.

Additional concept -- The count file should also have the last
infraction date, and possibly the whole word that marked an
infraction.  The count file could be scanned once a day, and the
person's count should be cleared if there are no infractions in the
previous fourteen days.  That functionality will enable the count file
to remove people from the grey list for good behavior (or lack of
behavior).

This scheme appears to be the best of both worlds, and I have seen
this implemented on other lists as well.

With the semi-cryptic form of linux commands and applications (through
abbreviations chosen),  there are linux words that would hit on any
"badword" list.
There is a game available for Ubuntu named ?Beyond A Silver Sky? or
something very similar.

I got stuck while playing the game, and searched the internet looking
for ?Beyond a Silver Sky? and I found sites with BASS in their page
title.  "BASS" contains a possibly "restrict-able" word-substring,
which means that any reply to a question about "BASS" should try to
use a non abbreviated title for the game instead of the abbreviation.
Also, if your reply leads someone to the bass.cfg file, then chalk up
a tick mark for your id.

Additional concept -- Does "assassination" count twice, or once?

Additional concept -- Are taglines excluded?

Peace,

-- 
Barry Smith