[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: starship-design: Newsgroup/list/newsletter/digest or not?
At 7:40 PM 7/26/96, Zenon Kulpa wrote:
>> From: "Kevin 'Tex' Houston" <hous0042@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
>>
>> Philip Bakelaar wrote:
>> >
>> > At 03:36 PM 7/25/96 -0500, Kelly Starks x7066 MS 10-39 wrote:
>> > >Quick check. ah hum. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE NOT GET ALT.* ACCESS?
>>WAKE UP
>> > >OUT THERE.
>> > >
>> > >I think we can assume if we get no responces, eiather everyone gets it, or
>> > >they don't care one way or the other.
>> > >
>> > >If nothing else it might expand our submiter base, and get the
>>overhead off
>> > >our backs. On the other hand it would pull interest away from the LIT
>> > >site.
>> > >
>> > >Kelly
>> >
>> > Make sure you read my last letter, Kelly. I know.. I use newsgroups a
>>lot, and
>> > what I said would most likely happen. But, is there a way to have a
>>password
>> > or something on a newsgroup? In my opinion, in view of the facts i stated
>> > before, that would be the only way.
>> >
>Seems I have somehow not received the letters quoted above.
>Was it because of switching to the mailing list mode, or something?
Hum, it looks like we have not completly worked out the bugs in this list thing.
>> Ben, a password on the group (or having to send all posts through
>> a moderator would defeat the purpose.
>> That purpose being to catch the people who are just
>> skimming the titles, and say "hey, that sounds interesting."
>> When they come in, they should find a FAQ and instrustions on how to join
>> the mailist. flames and crossposts can be easily ignored.
>>
>Yeah, I have used to be for some time on a mailing list
>linked to a newsgroup (i.e., all messages to one of them were
>also automatically posted on the other) and it worked fine.
>I personally do not like newsgroups, preferring mailing lists,
>for a variety of reasons - if something goes to the newsgroup only,
>I am sure to lose interest fast... But with such linked arrangement
>I think it might be interesting, though mostly as a means
>of publicity (though the old LIT site was able to attract
>quite a number of members without it...). Pity it became defunct
>in such a way.
True. Even in its current state it baits in occasional participants.
>Concerning the individual mail versus weekly bundled newsletter:
>I am for the latter. It worked fine at the old LIT days,
>and certainly cuts down redundant or irrelevant chit-chat
>(you have a whole series of arguments at one time and in one piece,
>you have a week to thoroughly think out the response(s), etc.),
>not to say about saving space for long message headers
>in your mailfile...
Very true.
>Subject threads do not help much - for them to work well,
>the posters should observe certain discipline in changing
>subject fields when changing the subject of their responses -
>a discipline not visible on any discussion list
>or newsgroup I have seen...
>However, the weekly newsletter is incompatible with a newsgroup,
>so they should have to be separate, and it means that in our case
>the members will probably split into two separate groups too...
>
>Concerning digests - I do not believe them to be either practical
>or possible at a weekly basis without a special hired staff ;-0
>The periodical digests, say once (half) a year or so,
>in the form of Status Report which we started (just started...)
>some time ago - that is certainly another thing, very useful
>and desirable. The problems are:
>- time & effort needed to do that (ah, Ben, are you ready?? ;-)
Just doing the few bits I worked up took me quite a bit of time, and they
still arn't on the main server.
>- objectivity: it is easy to make the attempted Status Report
> to become a personal view of its author instead of fair
> assesment of ideas and arguments appearing in the posts
> (sorry, Kelly, I think that this applies to at least half of your
> version of the Report :-(
>
>-- Zenon
Oppionions varry. Alternate opinions that are not written up and submitted
by their spoaks person, are consigned to cyber space hell. :)
Kelly
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kelly Starks Internet: kgstar@most.fw.hac.com
Sr. Systems Engineer
Magnavox Electronic Systems Company
(Magnavox URL: http://www.fw.hac.com/external.html)
----------------------------------------------------------------------