Greetings, list members,

 

Since we have been getting some additional list traffic because of the
interest in preparing workers for green jobs, we have had some
additional people join the list, and some who had been members for a
while drop out.  If getting too many posts in such a short amount of
time plays havoc with your day, I want to tell you of a possible
solution and then temper the suggestion with a warning.

 

There is an option within the list system that we use to receive email
in "digest format."  Some of you already are set up to do that.  What
"digest format" means is that instead of receiving email posts as they
are released to the list throughout the day, you receive posts bundled
together, usually one per day but possibly more on a day there are many
posts.  So it cuts down on the number of posts in your inbox, but you
still get all the messages.  If this sounds like something that would be
helpful to you, go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace and
under Unsubscribe and other options at the bottom of the page, enter
your email address and click the Unsubscribe or edit options button.  At
the bottom of the page you will go to, there are a whole list of
subscription options that you may select, Set Digest Mode being one
option.

 

Now the warning.  It has been a problem for people in digest mode when
posts on the list do not follow the suggestion of  "If I am replying to
an existing post, have I deleted all trailing text found within the body
of my email that is left over from previous messages and not relevant to
the point I am making? "   What happens is people just hit "reply" when
they are replying to a posted message (and sometimes when they are
posting on an entirely different subject!) and then someone replies to
that post, and, well, the message ends up with lots of unrelated "words"
at the bottom of it.  In digest mode, the problematic result is
illustrated by a recent complaint received by NIFL:

 

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"Dear NIFL people:

I'm on many lists, all set to digest.  It's a great pain that almost
everyone who posts to NIFL Lists hits Reply without deleting any of the
previous posts, resulting in lengthy digests in which it's difficult to
locate the new posts.  The most successful lists to which I subscribe
insist that everyone cut the chaff, that they include only a brief
quote, or at most a paragraph, of the single message to which they're
replying, and even one deviation from that rule results in a stern
reminder from the "list-mom."  I'm fairly positive that all of us who
are on digest would immensely appreciate NIFL doing the same.  As it is,
I fully intend to read the posts, but there's so much unfruitful wading
through the already-read that I've simply given up, and stashed all NIFL
postings in a folder to be read "someday when I have time."  Please
consider establishing a blanket and unbending rule that allows only
brief quotes from only one post in all new messages. " 

 

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As list moderator, I am going to start watching more carefully for these
unnecessary words from previous posts.  If you reply to an existing
post, please be sure to delete all old messages found within the body of
your message. Only include a quote or paragraph from the single message
to which you are replying, whenever possible. The moderator cannot alter
a post that is submitted.  My only choices are to accept or reject the
post as written.  So I will have to send the post back to the writer if
it doesn't cut out the extra words, which I will now start doing.

 

I think this will be helpful to all of us.  Thanks to everyone for your
cooperation!

 

Donna

 

Donna Brian

Moderator, LINCS Workplace Literacy Discussion List

Off-list contact djgbrian at utk.edu

 

To post a message:

workplace at nifl.gov <mailto:workplace at nifl.gov> 

 

To subscribe/unsubscribe/change options/access archives:

http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace
<http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace> 

 

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