Re: Time to revisit blocking

["Paul Grammens" <grammens@svn.net>]

Jeff Blakeney <CUTjefbla@bconnex.net> wrote
>
> And if you have a decent news group reader, you can also simply select
> the thread that has gone hopelessly off topic or is about something
> you have no interest in and tell it to ignore that thread and you'll
> never see another message in that thread.
>
> This is much better than ignoring all messages from the individuals in
> that thread because those individuals may have something interesting
> or helpful to say in the other threads that you would miss if you
> blocked their e-mail address entirely.
>

I find the opposite is often true: there are a few interesting posts in a
long thread, and a lot of drivel posted by a few kooks who have hijacked the
thread. There are a few people who never post anything that I find
interesting (or it may have been interesting once or twice, but not over and
over, year after year.) By culling their clutter from a thread, the
interesting stuff is revealed.  It's worth noting that, unfortunately, it
seems the Kooks are among the most prolific posters.

The important point is, to each his own. With blocking, the Kook Klique can
kook to their heart's content, without cluttering up the newsgroup for me.
For those who are primarily  interested in Kook Kontent, by all means have
at it. Two mouse clicks and you'll never darken my screen again.

Note that you aren't on my blocked list, Jeff, although we disagree on key
issues. Why? You have socially redeeming value because you post interesting
material on a variety of topics.

I am also of the opinion that the threat of blocking is a powerful tool (and
about the only tool) for keeping the newsgroup more or less on-topic and
keeping the flames down to pilot light level. BTW, I recently got a new
computer, so I started out without any blocking. I lasted a couple of weeks
before blocking the usual suspects. I just can't express the satisfaction I
get, watching all the posts of each blockee being deleted from my screen,
never to appear again, and the beauty of seeing the remaining names of true
Apple II believers.
-Paul