[nycbug-talk] list volume, starting web-forums and other lists

[Marc Spitzer]

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:47:07 -0500 (EST)
Wes Sonnenreich <wes at sagesecure.com> wrote:

> I think people might be overlooking two major points here...
> 
> 1) regarding volume... we all have different thresholds and time
> constraints. I'd like to be able to help the group, but I simply can't
> deal with reading more than a handful of messages a day. Therefore,
> I'd like to ensure that I see all the critical messages...

Don't worry about it, near as I can tell you are doing more then
your share already.  After all you wore a *Suit and Tie* at the BOF.

> 
> To me, critical messages are announcements and help requests. I want
> to make sure that people get their questions answered, vs. lost in
> "chat".

Most people will put Help or Problem in the subject line. 

> 
> Therefore, even though the volume is "light" for some people, I don't
> think it's too soon to break into three lists: announce, talk and
> help. I would expect announce and help to be relatively low volume.
> Both should be moderated. Talk can (minus announcements and help
> requests) remain exactly the way it is today.
> 
> We seem to have some consensus that an "announce" list is a good idea.
> 
> What about a moderated-only help list?

Who moderates?  This person will be hated, "what do you mean its not a problem???!  YOU ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".  Moderating a news group is a shitty job that I really do not think any of us want.  And we would need at least 3 to ensure that messages go through the system in a timely manner, vacations , sick time, long days at work, etc.  Now 
we need a policy to ensure consistent moderation, who is going to write it and how do we agree to it as a group?  Think UDP best effort is all we guarantee.  If on the other hand people need professional levels of
support then let them hire/contract someone for the job.  


> 
> and point..
> 
> 2) This group is open to all users, especially beginners. Working with
> email and email lists is fast and efficient for all of us because
> we're all uberdorks. If we want to promote the spread of BSD into new
> frontiers, we need to realize that many people will want to interact
> with NYCBUG through a web-based interface.

I am sorry, but I disagree everybody knows how to use email.  They know
how to create folders and filter rules(its real easy with current software).  


> 
> Frankly, I think we wan't these people posting using a web-based
> system that enforces decent quoting polcies and keeps things
> relatively on topic. Otherwise this list will also have 20 "please
> unsubscribe me" requests a day.

And who decides what the policies are?  Where are they posted? And how
is this different from them just not coming back to the web page? 


> 
> Thus, I think when practical, there should definitely be a forum/list
> connection. I will work to make this happen as soon as possible, using
> one system or another!

In all honesty the forum I could live without.  Better archiving software for the list and good searching/rating software for the archive would be useful.  The highest rated messages would come up 
first in the system on a search and people could say this is good or bad, it helped me or it did not.  What I want is for the list archive to turn into a self generating FAQ. 

marc