[Call-for-Action] Indigogo Campaign for Putting "Emma Watson Getting Interviewed for a Tech Job" under CC-by

[Shlomi Fish]

Hello Dan,

thanks for clarifying your position. Let me reply.


On Thu, Jul 10, 2014 at 8:16 PM, Dan Yasny <dyasny at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 10, 2014 at 1:00 PM, Shlomi Fish <shlomif at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> 1. What makes you feel this is "spam"? I don't see it as unoslicited bulk
>> E-mail.
>>
>
> Any email sent to a list is "bulk". And I didn't, in any way, solicit this
> Emma Watson bs, nor your pleas for funding or support.
>

In this case, I may well as argue that a job offer for a Java Enterprise
software developer with 5 years of experience in Java sent to this list is
spam as well, because: 1. It's bulk. 2. I didn't solicit it nor am
interested in it. But I don't argue that is the case.



> The very least you could do, out of common courtesy (I really hope you
> know what that is) is mark your email as offtopic, you know, like everyone
> in every other LUG does, with the [OT] marker in the subject?
>

I don't feel it is offtopic. The fictional interview highlights several
real problems with the software industry. Like I said earlier, some people
get a knee-jerk reaction to fiction, but fiction is not only often an
effective tool as writing an essay, but often superior. A lot of ink was
spilled about how the concept of an Abrahamic God was harmful until this
delivered a swift deathblow to it -
http://www.roflcat.com/ceiling-cat-is-watching-you-masturbate .
Furthermore, there was a significant risk that the USA will get carried
away into unnecessary paranoia during the late 60s until Sesame Street
started airing as a show depicting a happy, safe, carefree street where
children live and have fun together with adults, animated animals and even
cute furry monsters (!!).

Nevertheless, I am willing to mark it as "[Slightly OT]".


> This way I, and anyone else not interested in anything but the technology
> this list is about, can filter it out, and let you keep spamming those who
> are for some reason interested.
>
>
>>
>> 2. What makes you feel it kills a good and useful mailing list?
>>
>
> As soon as a list(/community/forum/etc) turns into an offtopic promoting
> medium, the useful and productive community members leave. I've managed
> enough forums to see that happen.
>
>

There may be a more significant risk of this list becoming overly dry, too
inbred (see
http://www.shlomifish.org/humour/fortunes/show.cgi?id=larry-wall-all-truth-is-gods-truh
), and too routine. We need to constantly seek external influences: from
other operating systems, from other fields of knowledge, from popular and
not so popular culture, from linguistics, history and humanities, from
ancient sources, etc.

Otherwise we risk stagnation. My post was not off-topic, just made use of
some popular culture metaphors. Do you  agree?


>
>> Vague complaints are vague. ;-)
>>
>>
> Nothing is vague here. This is off topic, your stories aren't interesting,
> aren't funny and would not belong in a LUG, even if they were.
>

First of all you're stating these things as facts instead of saying "I
don't find them interesting, funny, etc." or "IMHO, they are non funny".
Like someone once told me "In my opinion, it's a fact.". You'll evoke much
less antagonism if you follow this guideline.

For the record, quite a few people told me that they liked one or more of
the things I wrote, and if you ask me - if one person besides me enjoyed my
work - it was a spectacular success:

https://plus.google.com/+ShlomiFish/posts/UdiPzsSGc66

I don't mind writing a study / midrash of the Emma Watson interview story
for those who are not familiar with its sources and subtleties, but many
people liked it even without that.

------------

I hope I made myself clear. Please reply to the list if you have any
further objections or comments.

Best regards,

-- Shlomi Fish

-- 
------------------------------------------
Shlomi Fish http://www.shlomifish.org/

Chuck Norris helps the gods that help themselves.

Please reply to list if it's a mailing list post - http://shlom.in/reply .
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.huji.ac.il/pipermail/linux-il/attachments/20140711/45edcb0e/attachment.html>