Re: This mail group

["Mark Hetherington" <mark.egroups@xxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@y..., "Ian Lowe" <ian@w...> wrote:
> Guys, a word of warning:
>
> I can predict quite confidently that this list would not survive the
> creation of an iRC Channel and Usenet group actively pushed as an
> alternative.

The list moving t  a Usenet format in part or in it's entriety does
not seem to be a bad thing. Most people's concern is for the group
rather than the format and the group would IMO survive any changes in
format. I would be happier for the list to change and be able t  talk
with the people from here in a format I feel is more suited t
discussion. We currently have forums, the IRC channel(s) and the
list, but for much discussion the list is the only available format
and is the primary one. If the list does not survive alternative
places t  meet and have discussions, then that surely only shows how
inappropriate the list is for the number of members and t pics being
discussed.

One of my first seaches when I began looking up HA was for a Usenet
group. After being very disappointed by c.h.a and a.h.a. I looked t
IRC and eventually found the mailing list. The mailing list informed
me of an IRC channel which I was unable t  use but t  me was a
preferable format to the mailing list but more as one facet of my
searches rather than an exclusive one.

We do not get t  see how many people join and leave the list other
than those that incorrectly post their unsubscribe or those who
choose t  give a parting message. We often do not know the reasons,
but those messages I have seen of an incorrect unsubscribe often
occur when the list goes well off t pic or there is a huge surge in
number of posts, s  it may be safe t  assume that maybe the off t pic
posts or the number of messages discourage subscription.

> It is my opinion that we are at a level where the groups momentum
sustains
> it through dry posting spells. at the moment we have a high point.

Postings are on the increase and have been for some time. The group
does not seem to have a low point or dry posting spells :)

> I am again convinced that the only reason the IRC Channel has not
already
> done damage is because a *very* small number of people use it.

IRC is a very different medium mainly because it is real time. Last
weekend not only generated a lot of off t pic posts that caused some
people to delete the entire weekend's posts rather than trawl through
300+ messages but it continued in IM format that a number of people
chose t  partake in. I think we are more likely t  lose out by a few
individuals in some unknown IM chat or the deletion of far too many
posts t  pick out useful stuff from than we are from the potential
benefits we may get from IRC and Usenet which anuyone can get t
since they are known mediums and places for discussion.

> I have seen this happen on a Bike mailing list I was on, where the
group
> tried t  hive OT posts off t  a chat forum on a website. The reuslt
was a
> complete loss of traffic, and eventually almost everyone moved t  a
> compleely new mailing list, set up to be "just like the
original".

I have also seen changes in group forums but never t  a detriment of
the group and never returning t  the orginal format in another place.

Mark.





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