This is some mailing list administratativia.*

Buried deep in the dark (unindexed by Google) Web is a paragraph describing the purpose of the Code4Lib mailing list:

  The purpose of the Code4Lib mailing is to provide a forum for
  discussing the use of computers in libraries, usually in the form
  of writing software. Example topics include but are not limited
  to the strengths and weaknesses of particular protocols or
  computer applications, the use of those protocols or applications
  to address library problems, the sharing of cool (or "kewl")
  hacks, position and conference announcements, etc. [1]

Nobody is more concerned about the noise to signal ratio on this list than me, the list’s owner. The Code4Lib community has traditionally been rather hands-off when it comes to governance. And consequently strict policies have been kept to a minimum, if not nonexistent. We are humans, and with that come all sorts of beauties as well as blemishes. We must both embrace and accept this. I tend to be a “let a thousand flowers bloom” kind of guy ^h^h^h^h person. So I am able to tolerate seemingly off-topic threads. But when people start sending me messages and when people start unsubscribing to the list, then I know something is a bit off kilter. Believe it or not, I read each and every post that comes across the wire. Such is my responsibility. Now that we seem to be on track again, I am more relaxed.

In short, this is a gentle reminder to stay on topic, most of the time. 

* Apparently “administratativia” is a word of my own design because a search of it in Google returns only postings I’ve written. No wonder my spell checker doesn’t like it. 

[1] description - http://dh.crc.nd.edu/sandbox/mailing-lists/code4lib/

—
Eric Lease Morgan