[Amps] If you posted a message

[George Fremin III]

> On May 20, 2019, at 3:45 PM, vk6apk at bigpond.com <mailto:vk6apk at bigpond.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> If it's not a rude question, why the heck are messages being vetted in the first place?
> 
> Ive not seen that occur anywhere else and in my opinion, it shows mistrust and I consider it a gross insult to the intelligence of all members on this list.

Alek, 

It is not a rude question. 

There have been large periods of time when this list has not been moderated at all.  
This mostly works - until someone does something that causes issues.  These issues
can be minor (or seem minor to the original poster) or they can be not so minor. 

I approve 99.9% or more of the messages that are posted to the list - there are very few
messages that are not passed on to the list - this is why the list has been allowed to 
be set to unmoderated status for long periods of time.  Plus it is less work for me. 

There are many many email lists like the amps list that are either fully moderated or partially 
moderated - this is very common - without this all lists with larger membership see a decline 
in signal to noise ratio.  

The kinds of messages that I do not approve are: 

- Messages that are off topic.  ie. not about amps even if it is about Amateur radio. 
  There are lists for those topics - this is a list about amps.  This even applies if 
  you mark you message as ‘off topic’ or OT.  If you know enough to put that in your message
  then it does not belong wherever you are posting it.  

- Messages that attack other users or threads that turn into fights. 
  Usually these things start out as fine on topic threads but over time someone feels they
  have had their honor impinged and they start yelling at each other.  The list as a whole
  does not need watch folks fight with each other.  There are lists for that I am sure. 

- Messages that were meant as a reply to a person but were also copied to the list. 
  These messages are clearly directed at one person but they are sent the list. 
  They contain information or requests for that one person - again we do not need to all
  see that message. 

- Requests for help with the list such as how to subscribe or unsubscribe etc. 
  The list software is pretty smart and it does some amount of filtering for these types of messages on its own
  but some do make it to the list and would be posted when the list is in auto mode. 

- Meta discussions about the list or list polices.  This message from you is an example.  Normally I would 
  not release this message to the list but since I had several other others send similar questions directly to me just like yours. 
  Yours was the only one sent to the list as well. I approved your post to the list so that I could answer your question
  as it is likely there are others who have the same question.
 
 - Spam.  The system has pretty decent spam filtering (sometimes too good) but it is not perfect. 
   some spam does make it to the list.  We only allow members to post to the list with out my approval - but 
   since I can not vette all the list subscribers we have had a few spam messages make it to the list
   in the past when it has been on auto mode.   In some cases spam has gotten through because a list member’s 
   computer has been compromised and spam or other malicious messages are sent to all the addresses
   in their address book to all the people they have ever gotten email from. 

- Malicious messages sent intentionally to the list to shock or otherwise stir up trouble.  This has happened several 
  times on this list.  These folks are in the same class as a person that jams some on the air frequency.  And while
  I have removed the posting address - once their message it out to the list it is it out I can not stop it after the fact. 

I do not feel that any of the above reasons rise to the level of "a gross insult to the intelligence of all members on this list”.
I am sorry that you feel this way but perhaps now you will better understand the reasons this (and may other lists like it) is
run in this manner. 

It is just a fact of life on the internet. 

Thanks
--
George Fremin III
K5TR