[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: coping with a high-volume mailing list (like this one)?



on Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 12:34:28AM -0500, Lawrence H. Robins (lrobins@his.com) wrote:

> I'm curious to know what strategies are used by regular subscribers to
> this list to deal with the high volume of messages (>250/day)?
> Suppose you only want to see messages with certain keywords in the
> subject line, or only replies to your questions, and filter out all
> the others?  Also, is there any way to filter the messages **before**
> downloading them from your ISP to your local machine, which takes time
> in itself?  (Note: I am just getting started with Debian, and am not
> yet familiar with most of the packages.  This message is being written
> from an e-mail client program (Eudora) in another OS.  Eudora doesn't
> seem designed to handle huge mailing lists - I hope there is something
> better in Debian.)

Procmail filters -- debian-user goes to its own folder.  This is a must.

Heady use of delete key.  I tend to delete threads for which first post
is a reply -- I figure the post has already largely been answered,
unless the subject is particularly compelling.  

I ignore topics out of my area of interest -- sound and video cards in
particular.  Most new-installation posts, particularly if they've got
replies.  Most anything that has multiple responses.

I tend to favor posts by:  Ethan Benson (especially when he's correcting
me), Joey Hess, Sean Perry, and some other regulars.  I'll save and come
back to threads dealing with topics I'm interested in.

If traffic keeps climbing, I may isolate posts by particularly
insightful users and/or block posts with:

  - No subject.
  - Content 'unsubscribe' and short length.
  - Anything else I find particularly annoying.

When I get particularly behind, I just delete a few days (or weeks)
worth of posts.  Debian Weekly News tends to highlight significant list
events.

-- 
Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com>     http://www.netcom.com/~kmself
 Evangelist, Zelerate, Inc.                      http://www.zelerate.org
  What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand?      There is no K5 cabal
   http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/        http://www.kuro5hin.org

Attachment: pgpVcfOtiuIDW.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: