[Rhodes22-list] Future of Da List

[Herb Parsons]

I agree with Bill 100% on this one, and anyone that thinks me agreeing 
with Bill 100% on something isn't noteworthy hasn't been around long.

All that said, I think there is merit in adding a wiki. It wouldn't be 
difficult to do, and could be done without interfering with the mail 
list at all. Simply put the wiki on one of the cheap hosting services, 
give it another host name on the domain (something REALLY original like 
say - wiki.rhodes22.org would work), and that would "test the waters" 
without interfering with what already works.

Bill Effros wrote:
> John,
>
> We went through lots of lists before we got to this format, and a lot of 
> work was lost in the process.  The list has not always worked like 
> this.  This format has endured longer than any other, and we found we 
> could keep people active for much longer if instead of restricting the 
> scope of the list, we opened it up, discussed personal matters, told 
> jokes, discussed politics, and treated each other as old friends.  The 
> list is like an extended family.  We see each other off-list.  We all 
> have many interests beyond boats.
>
> When push comes to shove, a very small number of people wind up doing 
> 95% of the work. Then new people come along to tell us what we've done 
> wrong.
>
> All the answers you need for a lifetime are contained in the archives, 
> and it is relatively simple to download, access and search them.  But 
> nobody is going to do that.
>
> I wrote stock answers for my list, but it took almost a full year to get 
> the answers to the point where I could anticipate 99% of the questions 
> asked.
>
> I now tell them that my book is the FAQ, and I refer them to my book 
> whenever they ask a question that is answered in the book.  I have 
> considered writing a book about the R-22, and would be open to the idea 
> if others will help.  I don't anticipate that anyone will make any money 
> on the R-22 book, but it might help Stan, and it might help whoever is 
> in charge of maintaining this list.
>
> The search syntax keeps changing.  I got more answers with my syntax 
> than I got with yours.  We should write a stock answer to cover that 
> issue. 
>
> Hard economic times will drastically reduce the number of newbies.  We 
> will be mainly talking to each other for quite a while. If we reduce the 
> acceptable topics people will drop off the list at a rapid clip until 
> the list just shrivels and dies.
>
> The device of inserting Politics: or Joke: etc. in the subject line has 
> been extremely effective.  Almost everyone adheres to this convention 
> almost all the time. We can easily teach people to set junk filters if 
> they don't want to see jokes or politics.  There is no excuse for anyone 
> to drop off the list because they don't want someone else to express 
> their opinion.  That's always just an excuse for some other problem, and 
> we're not going to solve that other problem by changing the way the list 
> works.
>
> John Lock wrote:
>   
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> It is not my intention to commandeer the list and bend it to my 
>> will.  I believe that is wrong.  But I do feel a responsibility to 
>> set some limits because it will make the list a more valuable resource.
>>
>> Ben - Yes, a wiki is a great idea and has been on my short list of 
>> improvements when I get some elusive spare time.  I also agree that a 
>> forum format would better serve the group, but that opinion has been 
>> in the minority.  People love their e-mail.  However, I would be 
>> happy to install a test forum for people to try out if there was 
>> enough interest.  (FYI - think sailnet.com style forums, not nabble.com.)
>>
>> Bill E - Thanks for the reminder about alternate search methods for 
>> list, but that syntax doesn't work for me.  I had to use "rhodes22 
>> penetrol" (no ":") to get any results.  More specifically you can use 
>> "site:rhodes22.org penetrol" to just search the main list archives.
>>
>> And to all who responded in like fashion "the list has always worked 
>> like this, leave it alone." - I'm not buying that.  That doesn't mean 
>> it can't be improved and it doesn't mean it's always been 
>> right.  Anytime we lose a valuable list member due to caustic 
>> rhetoric we're poorer for it.
>>
>> I also do not believe that that we all have to hang around and bypass 
>> the stream of verbal effluent as some sort of penance for getting a 
>> quick answer when we do have an actual sailing question.  There has 
>> to be a better way.
>>
>>
>> John Lock
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
>> Lake Sinclair, GA
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
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-- 
Herb Parsons