Re: [tdf-discuss] Send Messages via Gmane?

On 2010-10-20 1:41 PM, Marc Paré wrote:
> Le 2010-10-20 10:49, Charles Marcus a écrit :
> > I'm sorry, but I don't have any sympathy with someone who wants free
> > help, but isn't willing to do the bare minimum of subscribing to an
> > email list in order to get it.

> Well, the free help is not free if they are forced to subscribe to the
> email list. I would not consider this then a "free" service.

I totally disagree... tanstaafl.

> On the other hand if there was a kinder way of offering them support, we
> could probably be fortunate enough to convince some of them to join and
> be part of the LibO community.

Again...

*IF* the intention is to allow posts from non-subscribers, best would be
to modify the list server to:

1. pipe posts from non-subscribers to a custom handler that

2. automatically changes the Reply-To to include BOTH the list
   and the non-subbed poster, then

3. accept the post

> Refusing them help will only drive our users away and we would have no
> one else to blame but ourselves.

The vast majority of open source email list support requires the one
seeking help to subscribe to the list (or register with the forum,
etc)... this is nothing new. OOo (and now LibO) is one of the only ones
I know of that allows all of the baggage that comes with manually
dealing with non-subscriber posts rather than simply informing the
seeker that they need to subscribe/register.

> You surely could not blame someone who dropped by for some help that
> was advertised as free help, and who then found out that the "catch"
> is to join our group for the help, and who left and dropped the suite
> because he/she couldn't get unconditional free help.

Yes, absolutely I could... <sarcasm>they are perfectly 'free' to amble
over to the 'free' support groups for the 'free' Microsoft Office -
where they also will be required to register, and often pay an annual
fee</sarcasm>.

The bottom line is, allowing non-subscribers to post (moderated or not)
just creates never-ending confusion - as evidence in support, see the
never-ending comments about it on the OOo lists where someone is
*constantly* being told that their response didn't go to the OP because
they OP wasn't subscribed, etc etc etc ad nauseum.

-- 

Best regards,

Charles

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