OT: OT posts [was Re: proliferation of computer languages]

[Joshua Cranmer]

xahlee at gmail.com wrote:
> • many says i'm posting off topic posts. In recent years they start to
> say i'm posting tangentially relevant posts. That's not correct. In
> fact, there are huge number of blatantly off-topics posts by regulars
> that spawn off from threads, happens regularly. The topics vary
> anywhere from discussing politics, law, licenses, free speech, math
> education, yapping on happenings of celebrity programers, and
> including rampant flamewars and accusations among themselves.

There is a difference. Many of your claimant off-topic posts are buried 
in the end of threads, not at the explicit start of a thread. In those 
cases, I personally feel that not moving to another forum is trumped by 
the sake of continuity. Even then, it should be indicated as such by OT: 
in the subject, but it gets easy to forget it. Starting a thread that is 
OT does not have such continuity considerations, though.

And realize that something is not on-topic merely because it's relevant 
to Java programmers. You can see people's responses to one of Roedy's 
threads as an example.

> • Most newsgroup tech geekers consider cross-posting wrong. I consider
> the taboo of this convention being a major contribution to the
> redundant creation of new languages, and foster the hostile faction
> nature of programing language communities we see.

X-Posting to groups as diverse as c.l.perl.misc, c.l.python, c.l.lisp, 
c.l.functional, and c.l.java.programmer (the last one especially, as it 
is not a functional language nor will it ever be) is generally a sign 
that you are not X-Posting in a germane fashion. Your original topic 
belongs in comp.programming or maybe (I can see a case for it) in 
c.l.functional, but not the other four groups.


> I wrote detailed argument about my edit in
> my Wikipedia's personal talk page. The Wikipedia fuckheads not only
> ban'd me,

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Fragrantly violating the 
established rules of an organization, especially after being reminded of 
these rules, is sufficient cause for disciplinary action.


And you're entire post gets more and more OT every paragraph. I can in 
no good faith allow this to continue. Setting F-U header to take 
appropriate actions.

-- 
Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not 
tried it. -- Donald E. Knuth