ph@netcom.com (Peter Hendrickson):

Moderation doesn't have to be based in censorship. It can be based on advice.

Instead of picking random list receivers to moderate, readers should choose their own moderators.

As a moderator reads the latest messages on the list, he or she can mark each one as junk or not junk. This causes advice messages to be sent to their subscribers. The subscribers can use mail programs which

This is getting closer to a possible working reputation system: Anyone can post their opinion of a particular message, using some standardized grading system, onto the list. These 'grading' posts refer to the 'graded' posts _without_ including the body of the messages. This reference could be to the message id, for instance. The reader's mail software understands 'grading' posts and extracts the grade for any actual post to the same list. The 'grading' posts are not shown to the reader; their votes are attached to the other posts, allowing the reader to decide whether or not to read a particular post based on the attached grades of others. Readers can create their own weightages for the opinions of graders. As anyone can be a grader, a reader has the option of receiving a weighted grade from a large sample of the list. Every grader doesn't then have to look at every post in detail - presumably each post will be read carefully by at least _one_ of them. Grades can, over time, transform into reputations of the posters themselves, at least as far as legible writing is concerned ;) Bugs: the time lag between graders and readers. This might get averaged out over a number of posts; the "bulk" priority causes delays in any case. Besides, I've noticed that posts tend to get answered or thought about within 2-3 days, rather than instantly. Comments? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rishab Aiyer Ghosh rishab@dxm.ernet.in Voicemail +91 11 3760335; Vox/Fax/Data 6853410 H-34C Saket New Delhi 110017 INDIA The National Short-Sleeved Shirt Association says: Support your right to bare arms! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------