future of the list

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: future of the list
From: Andy Den Tandt <Andy.DenTandt at rug_ac.be>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 15:11:15 +0100 (MET)
In-Reply-To: <199603150839.DAA08199 at looney_actwin.com>
> From: olga at arts_ubc.ca
> Shaji you wrote:
> >Personally, I'd like to see the mailing list closed to new
> >subscribers right now.
> This is not a bad idea. New people can use the newsgroup and if enough of
> them want a list they could start another one up. I also like the list but
> really don't want it getting any bigger. If too many people leave it could
> be opened up again to maintain a certain level of membership.

I find this a VERY bad idea, because most of the new people like me (I 
have been subscribed for one or two months now) are only lurking: they 
absorb all the information like a sponge, but they have no (or very few 
own experience) to offer. Most replies in this mailing-list come from the 
same people, and you are one of them, Olga. You're the experts. If you cut 
us off this mailing-list, and the newbies will have their own, who will be  
the experts over there? 

As I see it, the essential part of having a good 
mailing-list/newsgroup is that you have a few experts who take the time 
to explain everything, while newbies can learn from the expert's 
experience and slowly becoming experts themselves , in their turn helping 
the newbies. 

But I can understand that you don't like to wade through tons of 
questions that are allways the same.That's an advantage of a newsgroup, 
you can easily skip posts you aren't interested in, but I surely like 
this list's friendlyness and I wouln't want to miss it. 

I would strongly object to closing the mailing-list to new members, but 
can't there be a way in between, like having two classes of 
subscribers: one like it is now (and a restricted number of people here) 
and another class that is allowed to receive the posts and thus learn 
alot, but who aren't allowed to post, thus keeping the number of posts low.

Or should this mailing-list be split up like the newsgroup in e.g. 
DIY-stuff (like building your CO2 reactor), hardware devices (e.g. what 
filter, what light), plants in general (algae, nutrients,...) and one for 
specific plants (What does this specific species need?). 

Just my opinion.
Bye
	Andy
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It is through science that we prove but through intuition that we discover.
             						(Henri Poincare)

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      **  Andy Den Tandt           **
      **  Andy.DenTandt at rug_ac.be  **
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