On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 18:45:31 GMT, "Joe" wrote:

Being a non-moderated group, the off-topic posts in rec.boats will never
stop.
That being said, I believe that-

1- All off topic posters should show enough respect to always preface their
posts with "OT" and to always post with the same ID.

Even if the problem really were OT posts (it's not), prefacing each post with
"OT" does nothing; many newsreaders (OE, for example) strip this out in
followups, anyway.

2- The subscribers of this group who are unhappy because some
topics/posts/posters offend them, or don't fit *their* vision of how
rec.boats should be, should take the initiative themselves and configure
their newsreaders accordingly. This group can look anyway you want it to.

You might get a different perspective if you read some of my recent posts on the
subject.

Also, I find it quite hilarious how most of the "Good bye cruel world, I
can't take it anymore" type posts complaining about the off-topic posts are
some of the worst offenders. I don't block anyone, or any topic, but I am
thinking of blocking posts containing "Obit: rec.boats", RIP.boats", "I'm
outa here", "what does this have to do with boats" etc, etc, etc.

We all have a choice as to what we read and don't read. I believe most people
simply unsubscribe and quietly go away. This is Usenet, after all--no one can
see whether you read a newsgroup or not.

But in spite of your apparent attempt to portray my articulation of my feelings
about rec.boats as some sort of self-pitying plaint, I've spent the time to
write what I have because I think this newsgroup is an important resource--and
it is a resource that is in danger of going the way of many other newsgroups.

That's quite a bit different from what you characterize as "good bye cruel
world."

Joe Parsons