clues for the clueless

[cellio]

If you find yourself writing, on a mailing list, "I know this is off topic, but", stop right there. That "but" is trying to tell you something. Abort the message and move along with the rest of your day. Really. It'll be fine. Even if you weren't about to propegate an urban legend or the billionth copy we've seen of some actual news item, it takes a fair bit of either cluelessness or hubris to believe that if you don't spread your dire warning about some gardening problem to a mailing list about renaissance music, the people who need to know won't find out.

Edit: Posting this to the mailing list in question would, of course, have been off-topic, so I have to content myself with griping about it here. :-)

Comments

[sethg]

In the immortal words of Robert A. Heinlein:

"The correct way to punctuate a sentence that starts: 'Of course it is none of my business but--' is to place a period after the word 'but.' Don't use excessive force in supplying such moron with a period. Cutting his throat is only a momentary pleasure and is bound to get you talked about."

[cellio]

I had completely forgotten that Heinlein covered this topic. Thanks.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I had JUST fired up Google to find the correct wording of this quote, when I decided to see if someone else had gotten there first. . .

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

People do it with personal conversations, too. *SMACK!*

[cellio]

We have someone here who does that sort of thing a lot. I do my best to avoid conversations with her because she's very self-centered (the off-topic diversion will always be about herself). Come to think of it, she's one of the people more likely to post inappropriately to mailing lists, too.

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[dr4b]

Seriously. I've had to watch so many baseball bloggages turn into arguments over people being off-topic that at this point, half the time I don't even feel like commenting on something if I'm *on topic*.