From the Files of Doctor Stomper #3
               Off-Topic Posting: Normal, Neurotic and Psychotic
                      copyright 1995 by Dave Van Domelen
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     Abstract: A study is made of Off-Topic Posting with special emphasis 
placed on posts to alt.comics.lnh and rec.arts.comics.creative.  Such actions 
are divided into Normal, Neurotic and Psychotic phases.

1.0 Introduction

     With the advent of topics came the first postings to be off-topic, and 
Off-Topic Posting (or OTP) is as old as the net itself.  However, not all OTP 
are created equal, nor should they be treated equally as they have been by 
vigilante groups such as the Order of St. Doomas (see "Psychotic Vigilantes 
Monthly" v2 #7 p34+).  This paper begins the process of breaking down OTP into 
three major and several minor categories with suggested treatment plans for 
each.

2.0 Methodology

     Before performing any surveys, the principal authors performed an augury 
on the entrails of a 10th year graduate student. [Note: the authors in no way 
condone the unauthorized disemboweling of graduate students.  However, the 
Graduate Studies Office had already disemboweled this particular student, and 
we were loath to let the entrails go to waste.]  The augury suggested a 
particular method of research, outlined below.
     Ten first-year graduate students were assigned to interview 100 first-week
AOL, Prodigy, Delphi and other commercial service users each, as well as 25 
Freshman undergraduates who had activated their accounts in the past month.  
They ascertained attitudes towards such things as netiquette and willingness to
read FAQs before posting.  The interviews were also repeated with a random 
sample of 50 veteran users for each interviewer.
     Three of the interviewers are currently serving 90 day sentences for
aggravated assault with a clipboard, suggesting that those wishing to reproduce
these results do so by phone or email.  One of the others was taken away to
Ark.net Asylum where he still will only utter the phrase "Your stupid, stupid
minds!"  However, this attrition was planned for, and the remaining six
interviewers provided ample data.

3.0 Results

     Off-Topic Posts (OTPs) were determined to fall into three groups, much 
like other mental disorders.  Normal, Neurotic and Psychotic.

A. Normal OTP
     Normal OTPs can further be subdivided into Clueless, Confused and Topic
Drift.  None of the classes of Normal OTP are deliberate breaches, but rather
ordinary results of common factors.
     Clueless OTPs arise because the poster has no idea what a hierarchy is,
much less how to use it.  They simply post to the first group they find that
seems to marginally relate to their interests.  This class of OTP is
responsible for such things as queries about Spider-Man on RACC or offers of
sale posted to alt.comics.lnh.  The only cure for Clueless OTP is 
administration of clues.  Flames are generally counterproductive in such cases,
but informative rebukes often set the newbie on the path to healthy behavior.
     Confused OTPs are generally caused by slightly more experienced posters
who do understand the concept of topicality, they simply misunderstand the
purpose of the group and lack the patience to lurk and determine it.
Alt.comics.lnh is relatively immune to this form, but many posters are confused
by the name rec.arts.comics.creative.  They think it's a forum for "creative"
comics, with the poster's favorites automatically being considered creative.
Or they think it's a forum for anything creative involved in any way with
comics.  The latter is generally on-topic, but not always.  Especially when the
poster seeks to sell his creations.  Since Confused OTPers generally have some 
clues already, a simple clarification is usually enough to set them right.  
Once again, flames are uncalled for in this case.
     Topic Drift is inevitable in any lengthy discussion.  But in a newsgroup 
of fairly tight topicality, such can easily drift into OTP status.  Argument 
over a particular point in a story can lengthen into a huge discussion of 
politics, religion or some other topic best discussed elsewhere.  Even 
experienced netters can be drawn into such threads.  Alt.comics.lnh has a 
number of "clubby" Topic Drifts which have been accepted as being marginally 
on-topic when they relate to LNH writers themselves, although some of the 
cascades can get excessive.  RACC is less susceptible to Topic Drift, but it 
does happen.  Self-policing is usually the best way to deal with this...if a 
netter realizes he's drifting, he should take the discussion where it belongs.

B. Neurotic OTP
     Like any Neurotic behavior, OTP is a coping mechanism designed to deal 
with a reality not to the person's liking.  The specific coping mechanism most 
frequently involved is denial.  The reasoning tends to follow a line like the 
following:
     "I know it's off topic, BUT..."
     a) "...I'm sure most of the people here would be interested in it."
     b) "...it's really important I get this information out to people who
               wouldn't ordinarily read the appropriate group (like news.
               admin.*)."
     c) "...I can't think of a group where it belongs/my newsadmin won't
               carry the proper group."
     d) etc.
     All of these are, of course, rationalizations.  The poster knows he's 
doing something inappropriate, but can't or won't stop himself.  Most arguments
are fairly flimsy.  a) falls apart because those interested in the subject will
be reading the appropriate group, b) because those not reading the appropriate 
group aren't interested (and probably don't need to know) and c) because there 
are many ways (such as the cs.utexas.edu mail-to-news gateway) to post to 
groups your site doesn't carry.
     A special subset of Neurotic OTPers are those who are Obsessive.  
Obsessive OTPers can be hard to spot at times, because at first the seem only 
to be guilty of Normal Topic Drift.  However, over time it's obvious that all 
their followups drift onto a single topic of their obsession.  Whether it's a
particular person, a nation (such as Turkey) or topic, the Obsessive will 
always manage to find a way to Drift onto his pet subject.
     Most Neurotic OT Posters avoid actually "spamming" the net with their
posts, although Type B may do so if they feel their message is important
enough.  Often they make their OTPs because they feel trapped somehow by the
current structure, unable to reach an audience.  Helping them find the proper
groups, as well as alternate methods to reach audiences denied them by their
current site, can help them make progress.
     However, be gentle in working with them.  Neurotic OTPers are often touchy
and verge on paranoia as well.  They will even think this paper is a specific 
personal attack on them.  The repressed guilt of knowingly violating netiquette
can put anyone on edge.  Excessive pressure, such as flames, can send them over
the edge into Psychotic OTP.

C. Psychotic OTP
     These posters have no grip on the reality of the net.  They fail utterly 
to grasp the cooperation and mutual respect needed to keep the system alive, 
and act in very destructive ways.  They will spam hundreds of groups with their
messages, be they ads, religious diatribes or MAKE.MONEY.FAST.  They simply 
fail to see the consequences of their actions.
     There are several subgroups of Psychotic OTPers.
     Psychopathic (or Sociopathic) OTPers frequently grow out of Neurotic 
OTPers.  They don't care that what they're doing is wrong anymore, and have no
sense of netiquette.  "The Net Is A Commons!" is their rallying cry and excuse,
and they feel no guilt (anymore) at abusing the common resource for personal 
gain.  Masspost advertisers tend to fall into this group, but be careful to 
distinguish the true Psychopaths from the Clueless dupes they make money off 
of.
     Paranoid OTPers are certain that efforts to guide them onto appropriate
groups are actually censorship and fascism.  They make wild charges against
anyone who tries to help them stop embarrassing themselves in public and often
resort to harassment.
     Schizophrenic OTPers suffer from delusions that their posts have a sort of
universal topicality.  They proudly post their "screeds" to any and all groups,
confident that their posts actually do relate to the topic of the group.
Religious and other zealotous posters frequently fall into this category.
     Obsessive OTPers can get serious enough to fall into the Psychotic range,
but by this time most are in so many killfiles that no one notices them 
anymore.
     Sadly, there is no easy cure for Psychotic OTP.  Killfiling identified 
victims of this malady is only a stopgap measure, as is account-removal.  These
steps do not cure the disease, they only quiet the diseased.  But now that the 
problem has been identified, a cure may be researched.  Note that flames may be
used against these posters, but will often have little to no real effect, 
either positive or negative.

4.0 Summary

     Off-Topic Posts fall into three broad categories, Normal, Neurotic and 
Psychotic.  Normal OTP can be cured with a few clues and some gentle guidance.
Neurotic OTP can be cured with a fair amount of effort, but may degenerate into
Psychotic behavior.  There is no current cure for Psychotic OTP, although 
research is being performed on news.admin.net-abuse.misc.  Care must be taken 
not to misdiagnose one form of OTP as another, especially when a Normal OTP 
looks like a Psychotic one.