Marden P. Marshall wrote:
I'm not trying to be a hard ass here, but please
try to look at it from
You may not be trying, but that's the way it's coming off.
my perspective. I was looking to buy a DEC PC04, so I
sent out a
message with the subject: "WTB: DEC PC04...". So now when I see a
response to that message in my inbox, I'm expecting to open it and read
about buying or selling a DEC PC04. Instead, I read about repairing
readers. I'm sorry, but I don't see the relationship. Nor do I see
where it is my responsibility to alter the subject line of a message
thread that I originated. That is the responsibility of the person /
persons who redirected the thread.
You shouldn't have any problem asking for the others involved in the
discussion to please alter their subject line. That's perfectly
reasonable. Complaining about topic drift is *not the same thing* and
*is not reasonable*.
Also keep in mind that the practice of keeping the
subject line in-sync
with the message content is for the good of the whole community. For
example, the new subject of reader repairs which took over my original
message is a very worth while subject and should in no way be
curtailed. But the fact that no one bothered to give it a dedicated
thread with an appropriate subject line means that there are some out
there that may never read it, instead deleting it because they thought
the message was to do with someone wanting to buy something.
And there had been anyone to offer you a PC04, I would've fully expected
them to offer it to you in private email to avoid wasting everyone's
bandwidth.
This is just simple common curtsy that is for the
benefit of all.
I'm male. I bow. I don't curtsy for anyone.
Peace... Sridhar