Has anyone created an off topic filter

[Damned if i know]

Bout says it all...

[xrongor]

simply eliminating subjects with the filter 'OT *' (dont include the ' signs and the space in there is important so you wouldnt miss out on say a subject whos first letters just happened to be ot like the word other) should do what you want it to do. you might also add '[OT]*'

what newsreader are you using?

randy

[xrongor]

it just occured to me that such a filter should have filtered out your post so if anyone has a good one they never saw your message hence will not be answering

randy

[Unisaw A100]

I'm working on one now as we speak. OK, as we type. Anyway, I was in Target last weekend and on the clearance rack there was this 20" Patton 3-speed floor fan. I got it for $50. I'm thinking I can fab up a plywood (or MDF) box and have three pleated filters on the intake side. This thing really moves some CFMs and should pretty much filter anything I throw at it.

UA100

[B a r r y]

I simply ignore or kill a thread that dosen't interest me and never see it again. This even works well after a good thread has drifted into oblivion.

In Agent, it's the "I" (eye) key.

In Netscape, the "k" key does the same thing.

I find I miss too much good information with automatic subject filters, except for obvious troll-like behavior.

Barry

[Frank Ketchum]

No, because he didn't do us the courtesy of putting "OT" in the subject line of his post.

I will never, for the life of me understand what is so hard about ignoring threads that are of no interest to people, whether they are off topic or otherwise.

Frank

[Mark]

I can't understand it either.

Mom and Dad created an effective filter about 46 years ago.

[mp]

For a while, anyway. About 5 years ago I bought 3 Patton fans. They all got roughly the same amount of use and they all burned out within 8 months, whereas the cheapo fans I bought to replace them have lasted for years.

[xrongor]

well if it needs the letters OT it isnt a very good filter now is it

randy

[Robert Bonomi]

Creating a filter that catches all 'off-topic' postings is a *very* difficult exercise in artificial intelligence. Not to mention that what one person considers 'off-topic' may seem perfectly relevant to somebody else. :)

To my knowledge, no such animal exists.

The 'politics' filter set for nFilter/NewsProxy, available at catches many of the longer-running threads. It's does *NOT* catch them immediately. Only when I _manually_ update with a new subject line, when I run out of patience with the gubbage.

[Danny Boy]

There's the intelligent one behind the keyboard. The only real problem is the whackos who post to newsgroups about their religious preferences and so on, but hide their rants behind seemingly legitimate headers. It's just a game like sorting through your regular mail without much thought about it. Look at it, chuck it. Some is easy, some needs a quick peek. But above all, don't let it get to you, or they win. That's their real childish goal in life, what they really want, so don't give them the satisfaction. Ignore them like tiny, yappy little dogs. Above all, don't respond.

Dan.

[Doug Winterburn]

Duct tape holds a single filter on the intake side of mine. I shop-vac the filter when it starts looking too furry.

-Doug