Inappropriate tone on this mailing list and requirement for governance

[Loïc Martin]

Amedee Van Gasse (ubuntu) wrote:
> Loïc Martin schreef:
> 
>> By "locking" the thread, I mean not allowing any replies to a thread to 
>> be sent to the list. Which is possible: just filter all replies to the 
>> thread and messages that have the exact same subject as the locked 
>> thread, and send them to the bin server side.
> 
> I don't like your suggestion. It exceeds, in my humble opinion, the
> principle of proportionality. I will explain why.
> 
> A thread may start with a mostly harmless subject like "grub error 17"
> and may wander off into the realms of the offtopic. If we apply your
> suggestion, nobody will ever again be able to ask a question about "grub
> error 17". Newcomers won't understand why nobody will help them.
> On the other hand, trolls only have to change one character in the
> subject to avoid your filter.

Would any moderator be brainless enough to do that ;) ?
Off-topic and offensive subjects can be locked safely (and off topic 
threads moved to sounder). Anyway, is there really a need to lock a 
thread for more than a few weeks (enough for the discussion to move to 
the relevant mailing list)?
Threads like "The future of Ubuntu Linux.... Will it make Micro$oft go 
bankrupt?" would fit Sounder perfectly, and locking them on ubuntu-users 
would hardly prevent anyone to get the support they're looking for.

We get a huge amount of mails just including those off-topic and 
offensive subjects, I'd welcome anything done to keep the list on topic 
and preserve its usefulness.

As for changing one character to a subject, isn't that asking to be banned?

There's always threads that start on a good subject but degenerate. 
Grey-listing has been proposed, I guess it would depend on the amount of 
time moderators have. Technically, nothing would prevent blocking (or 
"grey-listing")replies to one particular offensive mail, while other 
mails in the topic could be replied for (off course, some mails readers 
could mess that up without the user's will.) I'm aware when talking 
about "grey-listing" it's been proposed to grey-list users, not replies 
to a thread, but both can be tried (and that's not my call).

Even if no solution is offered for threads that have a good subject but 
go awry, there's still the Ubuntu Code of Conduct. If it is enforced on 
a consistent basis, regulars would soon get in the habit not to disgrace 
the community - and regulars have been the ones that pollute the list 
the most.

Threads that have an on-topic start, then get off-topic are far less a 
problem than threads that fail to respect the CoC. Moderators don't have 
to be control freaks, and dealing with offensive mails, dealing 
considerately with common mistakes and if possible moving off-topic 
threads (=when the subject and the first mail is already off-topic), 
that would already be work than one could hope for ;)

Loïc