nature of the list baylisa at baylisa.org

Sat Mar 30 11:29:44 PST 2002

> ---- As written by joe bsd:
> 
> > It is certainly great to have a list with so many experts
> > like baylisa at baylisa.org.

Aw shux.

> > But on the Baylisa home page, it states the purpose of
> > this list as follows:
> > "This is the general mailing list for BayLISA activities."
> 
> > Maybe that should be broadened a little bit

How could "general mailing list" possibly be broadened further?
No.  It should not.

It should be focused tighter than that, thus 

::: "...for BayLISA activities."

BayLISA = large installation sysadmins.  Thus one can assume that
their normal activities will be technical and involve something
you might find lying around the server room :)  They may actually
involve our local area rather than (sys|net)admin folks globally.  

> > or a technical
> > discussion list formed. 

Let me get this straight, you're trying to claim that questions about
reaching a terminal server of one OS type from another OS is *off* topic 
here?  !?  What are you smoking, please check the netadmin general's
warning on the side of the package, and keep it away from my CSU/DSU.

If you mean a "specific topic" discussion list - scads of them already
exist, to name a few minor examples: NANOG, linux-kernel, bugtraq ...

If you mean a "just talk tech" - err, then what do you expect to hear
about on the main list? (When the system engineer wants egg fu yung because
"its down, it's hung" where do *you* go after 10 pm?  I know a good chinese
place on DeAnza...) We do have a -announce list, for people who only want 
to hear announcements and not discussions.

> > Maybe I'm only pointing this out
> > because of the way I got hammered by a few members for 
> > bringing up employment related issues on baylisa lists.

Hmm, lemme see, first you posted to baylisa-jobs, then
David Wolfskill, our postmaster, said:
> You posted to the "-jobs" list without offering a job or
> posting your resume.  This list is a discussion list.  The
> "-jobs" list is not a discussion list.

... so you were off-topic there at baylisa-jobs;

On the main list, you posted your grousing, but were so verbose that
to this moment I remain mystified what solution you suggest for what 
you view as a problem.  Great, you've filed a bug report that a certain
government behavior sucks, and that it affects you, a sysadmin type,
and some others like you heavily.  The QA rep inside me wants to try
to narrow your description into the "I am aggrieved" part and the "how
it can be fixed" -> "enhancement request" part - but the busy admin of 
me had no time to read it all, and filed it firmly in "political".  If 
the solution exists, it's not "sysadminly" in nature.  Thus more than
an awareness-level of talking about it drifts off-topic... in my noted
as not humble opinion.  Find a Bay Area activism list.  If it's a good
cause, you should be able to get some supporters there, maybe even some
who know about squishy matters like political reform.  

When you stir the fires looking for a spark of activism, DO remember to
wear your asbestos undies.  You will need them.  And don't be surprised
if you get killfiled by a few people. "I got hammered."  What, you expected
no replies?

I have news for you but there are many government behaviors that suck
for sysadmins.  Check the back tapes library for a few examples.  SSSCA
still awaits it chance to cause instantaneous bit rot in our hard disks
of the future.  Make sure to write down your snooping policies and your
get-rid-of-old-email policies lest you be subpoenaed for things you don't
have and then jailed for things you do that are "normal" in a sysadmin's
day.

<plug>Let the Board know if you want to borrow a tape of a past meeting
so we can bring it to your next meeting for you.  Remember that only 
BayLISA members can borrow tapes.</plug>

> > Just my two cents.
> 
> >   Guy

Compared to these I see your H1-B matter as one amongst the rest of these
helpdesk tickets categorized "trouble getting a job".  For the actual 
*getting* of a job, follow the rules on baylisa-jobs and see what you can 
find.  

I think that remote access matters are far closer to "on topic" - matters
that affect the Big Server Room - than job woes are, even highly political
ones in the technical fields.  On the matter of specialization of lists 
I'm sure there are activism newsgroups and mailing lists you *should* bring
this up to, which already exist, but aren't here.

Good luck in your quest.  My quest of the moment is to find enough hours
in the day to finish my main workstation upgrade while I have a project on
deadline.  Luckily the results are that thousands of people get lots of cool
techie tips for dealing with their Linux sysadminly matters.  Well okay,
some programmerish and end-user matters too.  But I'ts my job to keep what
gets pubbed there... on topic.

-* Heather Stern * star at starshine.org * Starshine Technical Services *-
	Arch (secretary) of BayLISA, but just speaking for me
	Hat of the day: Linux Gazette Technical Editor, linuxgazette.com