From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 22:22:45 -0800 (PST)
To: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri@netcom.com>
Subject: Re: s/n problems on this list
In-Reply-To: <199701141652.IAA10713@netcom13.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <32DC8E96.377@sk.sympatico.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote:
> 
> I've posted on this subject many times in the past, and its
> something I like to brainstorm on. signal to noise problems
> on this list.

  'Your' noise, or 'mine'?

> generally, the moderator-specific approaches I find less
> palatable than techniques that can be automated. here
> are some more ideas for automated moderation techniques.

  Here's one.
  How about only accepting auto-generate postings from machines
programmed only to post officially 'acceptable' postings?
  This would get rid of the dastardly 'human element' and insure
that there would be no off-topic postings.

> hence, a proposal: cpunks have long advocated and hacked mailer
> programs to stick in crypto. how about sticking in a hack that
> tracks how long mail messages are being read, and send that
> info back to an auxilliary mailing list address. the list
> software keeps track of time spent reading articles and
> can allow people to screen the list based on the "most interesting
> articles". "send me only those articles that go over a threshhold
> of 500 combined human attention minutes".

  Then we can go directly to the postings that talk about "Gilligan's
Island" and "Married With Children".
  Are you getting better drugs than I am?
 
> of course this can be messed up by hackers who try to skew the
> ratings. I would suggest a limit on the max time per article per
> person.

  For every solution, there is a problem.
 
> 2. I like the idea of a system that keeps track of complaints against
> given users.

  Including yourself?
 
> just more ideas. I like cpunks generally favor a technological
> fix that doesn't involve bottlenecks of individual moderator
> opinions.

  I think your ideas are a bottleneck.

Toto