At 13:14 07/10/2006, Elliotte Harold wrote:
>William Gilreath wrote:
>
>>XString = /duh:ROOT+7@ATTRIBUTE=VALUE@xmlns:duh= 
>>http://www.w3.org/noduh/duh:CHILD+1'text/duh:EMPTY+0@EMPTY_ATTRIBUTE-comment?processing 
>><http://www.w3.org/noduh/duh:CHILD+1%27text/duh:EMPTY+0@EMPTY_ATTRIBUTE-comment?processing> 
>>instruction[function nop(){}/duh:NIL+0
>
>
>It couldn't be April 1, already could it? I know I didn't miss 
>Halloween and Christmas. :-)

As I have mentioned (though I can't locate the post) I think it would 
be useful to update the list guidelines to indicate the sort of 
things that are useful on this list, and to repost these at regular 
1-2 monthly intervals. This could include something like:

The list's purpose is:
"
XML-DEV serves as an open, publicly archived, unmoderated list 
supporting XML implementation and development. XML-DEV emphasizes 
active participation through code development, creation of protocols 
and specifications, and other material contributions such as 
reference resources. Hosted by 
<http://www.xml.org/xml/www.oasis-open.org>OASIS, XML-DEV is for the 
productive discussion of XML topics. As such, it must remain a place 
for individuals concerned with XML and its future as an open-source 
development resource.
"

XML-DEV has a proud history of innovation and welcomes new ideas. As 
XML can be used to model aspects of our world discussions are 
sometimes discursive and unfettered. However it is easy to digress 
into the general state of the world, politics, sociology, business 
etc. and generally this is not useful to most list members. Posters 
should use discretion in replying to posts where the discussion may 
wander off the general theme of XML.

Posters should remember that many readers have hundreds of mails a 
day and that unhelpful posts cause loss of time and even temper. 
Among topics that are not helpful on the list are:
- redefinition of XML and related W3C specifications, including 
revisions of XML syntax. There are many specialist forums that may be 
suitable and these sometimes have calls for comments on revisions of the specs.
- topics not related to XML.
- humour not related to XML (and then only in moderation)

Newcomers should always be treated courteously and, if their 
acquaintance with XML and the list is small, it may be useful to 
point to tutorials or other discussion groups.

An unmoderated list has the advantage of rapid communication and 
freedom of expression. It has a few downsides. Occasionally lists are 
visited by posters who do not wish to further the general goals and 
may wish to incite flamewars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming) 
or act as trolls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll). In 
these and similar activities the rule is simple - do not reply to the 
post however unjustified you think it may be.

P.




Peter Murray-Rust
Unilever Centre for Molecular Sciences Informatics
University of Cambridge,
Lensfield Road,  Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
+44-1223-763069