[ExI] META: Off-topic discussions

[Natasha Vita-More]

Sure, everything is connected in some way, but that doesn't mean that it is
meaningful to list members.  The subject line ought to clarify the
underlying theme of posts' contents. An inappropriate subject line can
welcome, push away, or rebuke potential posters.  (The "anti-Jews" subject
line was off-putting.  Even if this is connected to transhumanism, the
subject line should have shown it.)

The list rules suggest that we use prefixes for subject headings:

"Posts about the list, or its rules, should have the pre-fix "META:" We
encourage the use of other prefixes indicating the content of a post.
Examples include, PHIL:, MATH:, SCI:, CHAT:, ARTS:, etc.

"Since the topic of discussion on the list can change constantly within a
single thread, we ask that the subject lines change accordingly. If you feel
that a thread is going off the original topic, that's perfectly fine, but
please change the subject line to let all list readers know what the topic
has become."


Nlogo1.tif Natasha Vita-More

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of
mail at harveynewstrom.com
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 11:44 AM
To: ExI chat list
Subject: Re: [ExI] META: Off-topic discussions

Stefano Vaj writes:
> Basically, *everything* IMHO is potentially connected to transhumanism 
> one way or another

Perhaps.  But we can't discuss *everything* on this list.  So there must be
some criteria for what is on-topic and what is not. 

> but my point is that very often we discuss various subjects here, be 
> it in interesting and pleasant ways, without connecting them to 
> transhumanism or extropy at all... :-)

Unfortunately, I think we all recognize that the race discussions rarely
remain interesting and pleasant. 

> Let us say that I like Beethoven music (as in fact I do, btw).
> Shouldn't I make an effort to clarify why I decided to raise a 
> discussion thereupon *in this list*, if I choose to do so, or what its
> (alleged) relevance to the list topics might be?

Yes.  But as many times as the race topic has been raised, I am not sure its
connection to transhumanism has been established. 

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