The [OT]: and other threads discussion goes waaaaay back.
As far as I can tell from a quick look in my personal PICLIst archive, Simon
has been onlist since August 2002 and Sid since March 2002. Now there's
absolutely nothing worng (of course) with being new to a list BUT if you
really care about the philosophy and why's and wherefores behind the tag
system it might be educational to have a look back through the archives.

The tag system grew out of extensive and extended discussion about what does
and doesn't belong on a list like this. What "a list like this" means was
also debated at length. Be aware (as some here will be and some will disgree
with and some will want to discuss and some wont =care and ... :-) ) that
this is NOT just a technical list. This is an international family - about
2000 strong and dynamic in membership. While the core familt value is meant
to be PICanalia (like Baccanalia but different) the general other interests
of the family are also relevant. There are some things that the family has
explicitly decided not to talk about (actually it was Mom & Pop who decided
but most of the boys and girsl also agreed.) Apart from that, it's generally
felt that matters raised should be of potential interest to a substantial
number of list members AND be tagged appropriately so that those who wish
can abstain from the more exotic excursions.

If a family member who is suitably PICanalian wants to know about formatting
an 80GB hard drive then the OT tag is absolutely fine for this. If this
changed to a thread about all the technical aspects of modern hard drives
then perhaps another forum would be better. One of the biggest sins is
taking a thread and perverting it completely but leaving the tag (OT) or
otherwise unchanged, as has happened with this thread. Maybe this should by
now be called "Yet another discussion about the PICLIST tag system". At
least then people who subscribe to [OT]: can easily mentally filter the
messages by subject line.

I am a prolific [OT]: poster (as you are probably aware :-) )( whoever you
are). MOSTLY these are pointers to technically interesting sites for the
ever young of mind and broad of interest. In the vast majority of cases they
are intended to be of potential interest to a substantial proportion of the
PICList membership. In many cases they are. I get a steady trickle of
offlist messages commenting favourably on these posts. If I post something
with another tag it's almost certainly because, in my judgement, it belongs
there. Sometimes, but very seldom, there is another reason.

I posted my "Speed of Light" messages under [EE]: because I decided that was
really where they belonged - if you don't see where this fits into EE that's
fine. Apart from my own messages I believe there were 2 or 3 responses on
this and none were intended as technically useful comment. However, the
number of references in the 80 GB HDD thread to this post have (I think) far
exceeded those which actually relate. If something is reeeeally out there
then if you ignore it, Jinx will make a traditionally silly and/or humorous
comment, Peter C will complain about the Creation Scientists,  and life will
then continue much as before.

Losing the flexibility we have now would be a very great shame. Those who
can't stand the current OT topics (of which constancy of light speed is not
one :-) )(but the better part of 12 odd posts NOT on 80 GB drives are)
should read through the archive history to see how we got to where we are.

To no doubt misquote some savant "Those who do not learn from history are
doomed to repeat it"



                Russell McMahon



> > No.  This is exactly WHY the tagging system was created.  You don't even
> > have to do the filtering on your own mail client if you just instruct
the
> > list server to stop sending OT tagged mails.  It was decided some time
ago
> > that this was preferable to banning all OT threads.
> >
> Ok, but OT should not mean "totally unrelated to anything to do with the
PIC"
> - rather it should mean "not specifically PIC-related but on similar
lines"

NO - see above.

> For example, if you want advice on building PCBs or robotic drivetrains
then
> fine, post an OT.

No - probably EE

> If you want to talk about taxes

elsewhere

>, speed of light decreasing
> or HDD reformatting,

OT

> I know we have filtering, but I don't think that this is an excuse to
start
> unrelated threads just for the hell of it.

I agree.



            RM

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