1.  We're no more prickly than other folks on single-focus lists.  I've
been on other lists where an advertising pitch would generate a ton of
flaming retrospam (there's a mental image!)  But there is no explicit set
of house rules for this list as there is on others.  My problem is I don't
have the time.
2.  There is no possible "advertising" contact that I would find
acceptable, whether headhunter or product, direct or through the list (I'm
very prickly).  On the other hand, if somebody asks about a product that
does job X, a brief response (not a white paper) about product Y is
welcome.

_____________________________
William Mansfield
Senior Consultant
Solution Technology, Inc




                      asr AT UFL DOT EDU
                      Sent by: "ADSM:          To:       ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST 
DOT EDU
                      Dist Stor                cc:
                      Manager"                 Subject:  Re: Who else got 'Job 
Spam'?
                      <[email protected]
                      .EDU>


                      02/07/2002 09:45
                      AM
                      Please respond to
                      "ADSM: Dist Stor
                      Manager"






=> [ lots of folks said ]

> "Tina" bad. Bad Tina.

It was clearly a form letter, but mail sent to ADSM-L subscribers probing
for
interest in TSM contracting is hardly indiscriminate spam.  If she did even
a
little evaluation of who to send to, who not...  well, those who yelled at
her
are then dead-wrong, in addition to being rude.

When I spoked to Tina, I teased her (politely) about trying to make the
form
letter seem personal.  She was very concerned about the impact of her
questions, and wanted to reach likely folks without irritating anyone.

I told her to talk to the listmaster: some lists are open to occasional,
low-key openings notifications, some lists are rabidly against it.  Clearly
our readership is too prickly for even a relatively careful, thoughtful,
polite probe.


So I leave you with two questions:

1) Why are backup admins testy this way?  Is this an overflow of the
technical
   paranoia which is our stock-in-trade?

2) If a polite (if somewhat sycophantic) initial contact makes us mad, what
   kind of contact would be welcome?


Allen S. Rout