Sorry for the interruption but I wish just once I could follow a topical list where 50% or more of the traffic wasn't people posting or arguing about how this or that post was off-topic! The meta-banter gets worse than the banter; the latter at least usually touches on some possibly interesting subject such as phishing policies or Katrina or FCC/VOIP issues, unlike the meta-banter. A SUGGESTION (this isn't just more meta-banter) A committee (of one or more) with an alias who become generally understood as being the SOLE SOURCE of polite "that's off-topic" postings, and an alias others who wish someone would point out that a thread or post is off-topic can send that suggestion to rather than any number of people buzzing the entire list with their complaint. I realize it won't be perfect and there'll be leaks but maybe it'll come to be a commonly accepted convention with some prodding and routine announcements etc. Call it: nanog-ombudsman (nanog-ombudsperson?), whatever, nanog-meta? Sorry for the meta-banter and no I'm not volunteering mainly because I honestly don't think I'm qualified to judge what is on/off-topic as this note amply demonstrates. -- -Barry Shein The World | bzs@TheWorld.com | http://www.TheWorld.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 800-THE-WRLD | Login: Nationwide Software Tool & Die | Public Access Internet | SINCE 1989 *oo*