A89: E-mail List Flame Wars: A Survival Guide
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A89: E-mail List Flame Wars: A Survival Guide
Have you been inundated with tons of pointless, useless messages where people
flame each other back and forth, using language that you wouldn't repeat to
your mother, all the while stealing your valuable time and bandwidth? Help is
on the way! With this handy Survival Guide, you will be one-up on the morons
who don't know the difference between "Reply" and "Reply to All".
1. Stay Calm
First of all, don't get involved in the flame war yourself! You will only
make yourself look like a complete idiot and cause another 5 to 5000 posts to
be added to the thread. Nobody wants that. The best thing to say is nothing at
all.
2. If possible, filter
You will not miss anything important by using filter software to block out
the e-mail messages with the subject that is being used by the flame war
participants. AOL people are out of luck, but Hotmail's filters and filters
available on programs like Eudora and Microsoft Inbox will work just fine.
3. Don't Tell Them To Shut Up
Someone will do that for you. Chances are, you'll get fed up with all the
crap before you reach the current end of the thread, and by the time you get
there, several people will have already posted one of these most annoying
"shut up" messages. Ignore it. It will go away.
4. Thou art not holier than thou
Don't even try pulling the "I've been on the internet 10 years and I know
more nettiquite than you" card. It's ineffective and just shows that those
years you have been on the internet haven't taught you jack squat. Just stay
out.
5. Post This Message - or something similar
Other people need to realize not to do these things as well. Share the wealth
of knowledge! If nobody responded to any messages in the first place, whether
it be the origonal flamers, shut up people, or the holier-than-thou, flame
wars would never happen.
6. Consider suspention of most violent flamer
Contact the list owner and see if you can't get that person suspended from
the list. This may not always work, and it may get the person angrier, so
think twice before doing this. DO NOT E-MAIL BOMB THEM UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES!!! This will either be ineffective or worse, get you removed
from your ISP.
7. Post something on-topic
The mailing list will soon become worthless as people will quickly flee to
get off the list. Try and save some people by posing one or two relevant
questions that do not mention the flame war at all. Invite people you know
back on the list when it's over.
8. One milliliter of prevention is equal to 60 metric tons of cure
Don't start one. Control your tongue. Your computer comes equipped with 2
very handy tools- the backspace and delete key. Use them as an extremely handy
"think twice" device. If you tend to be short tempered, wait an hour and
review your e-mail before sending it.
Summary: Don't participate, and keep other people from participating whenever
possible.
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Flame War Survival Guide
(C)1998 ZeromusMog@aol.com
Please post to every list
possible, but give credit
where it's due.
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