Mailinglist privacy: MY NAME ALL OVER GOOGLE!

Bart Silverstrim bsilver at chrononomicon.com
Fri May 6 05:18:32 PDT 2005


On May 6, 2005, at 7:06 AM, Anthony Atkielski wrote:

> Giorgos Keramidas writes:
>
>> This is a recurring theme.  It's really *NOT* the fault of the
>> postmaster of FreeBSD.org that you posted to public mailing lists.
>
> It _is_ the fault of the mailing list manager that posts are being
> archived without the permission of mailing-list members.  Members must
> be required to explicitly grant permission when they subscribe.

Yeah, cuz, we wouldn't want the archives to be referenced for people 
who are looking for help on topics, after all.

>> The Handbook section about mailing lists[1] says:
>
> What the Handbook says is irrelevant, because nobody is required to 
> read
> it in order to subscribe to a list.

Do they need to issue a specific list of "what to do" when using 
FreeBSD or interacting with the community?  And how many people would 
actually follow it ANYWAY?  Most don't even read the @#%# EULA on the 
software they install on their home computer.  Most users out there 
still think they OWN their operating system (how many times have I 
explained to them that they only license Windows, they don't own it?), 
and you think that people will read disclaimers for joining a mailing 
list?  We're lucky when people read the directions on how to subscribe 
or unsubscribe.

How about people use common sense before joining lists and posting to 
them, and take some responsibility for the things they do?  How about 
reading up on how it works, or googling for information ahead of time?

The Handbook is referenced as what is supposed to pass for the 
authoritative source of information for FreeBSD users.  It is most 
definitely NOT irrelevant.  Just because you'd rather belch out 
questions to a list instead of first looking for the answers on your 
own is no excuse for dismissing it, especially since so many on the 
list have told users to READ THE HANDBOOK, which ironically should show 
up in the google searches hitting the archives if people bothered to do 
so.  Now they're complaining because they're showing up in the google 
searches because of the archives...the same ones that keep saying to 
look in the Handbook for information.  Oh, the irony.

People won't read the rules and guidelines anyway.  Yet the information 
is out there.  It's not hidden.  It's certainly no secret that these 
posts are archived out there, as are web pages and potentially anything 
else you wave around for the Internet public to see.  Better yet start 
some arguments with the governments and businesses that are video 
taping people with security cameras on street corners and inside 
stores.

Users have all this information available to them, and it should be 
common sense that if the archives are supposed to be searchable for 
future reference that it makes sense your postings may potentially make 
your words immortal...well, as immortal as the Internet will be.



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