Most discussion on comp.lang.python is about developing with Python

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:35:56 -0500, bob gailer wrote:

> Is there a moderator for this list?

Sadly no.

 
> Is there some other place for discussions that are completely OT and
> also full of flames?

Yes, there is private email. Unfortunately private email doesn't give the 
culprits the audience that they desire.

> Or would you be willing to stop the bashing? I don't see that it helps
> anyone, and could be very offputting to other newbies.

That's what I have been saying for a long time. I believe that whatever 
negative effect Nikos the help-vampire is having, it is long ago 
overwhelmed by the negative of the anti-Nikos vigilantes.

Fortunately, Nikos appears to pay absolutely no attention to any thread 
which isn't about him. So if you avoid threads started by him, you'll 
miss the worst of it.

As a community, it is difficult to balance the conflicting needs here. If 
we ignore Nikos completely, we appear unfriendly and indifferent to those 
asking for help. If we answer his questions, we encourage him to post. It 
is hard to find the right balance, if there even is a right balance, and 
people can have differing ideas of what that right balance is.

But it is clear from the last few months that abusive, aggressive posts 
don't help anyone -- they don't set a good tone for the group, they put 
off newcomers, and they do absolutely nothing to discourage Nikos. Please 
consider this a request to the community, ignore Nikos if you like, 
answer his questions if you must, but please keep the abusive posts off-
list. They aren't helping.



-- 
Steven