[cfarm-users] GCC112 disk space

[Noah Misch]

On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 05:46:12PM +0100, Martin Guy via cfarm-users wrote:
> On 21/01/2019, Aymeric via cfarm-users
> <cfarm-users at lists.tetaneutral.net> wrote:
> > here is the list of top 10 user, if you're in
> > you should consider making some space ;-)
> 
> I don't think that publicly flogging the top ten is the best strategy
> for two reasons:
> 1) It's embarassing and unloving

I didn't interpret it as a flogging or even as impolite.  This shared system
faces a shared challenge, and the request named the people best able to help
with that challenge.

> 2) The biggest users may be using more because they are doing more
> work for free than anyone else.

Right.  High disk usage is not a transgression, but it does create a duty to
do yet more work as the disk runs out of space.

> 3) It tends to make the other hundreds of users to think "Oh, look at
> those big hogs. I don't need to do anything" - yet the many can make
> more of a difference than the few

In this case, the top ten represent 51% of the usage.  Hence, I think it was
reasonable to not seek help from hundreds of users representing the other 49%.

> It would be more polite and pointful, if you feel that the going after
> biggest users is a useful strategy, for an official cfarm admin to
> write to those people in private, explaining the problem and politely
> asking whether they need to use quite so much space

Some people read their private email before email they receive by virtue of a
mailing list subscription.  For that reason alone, +1 for using private email
when notifying ten specific people.