Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #342

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #342
From: "Christopher L. Weeks" <c576653 at cclabs_missouri.edu>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 19:26:18 -0600 (CST)
In-Reply-To: <199603172039.PAA13316 at looney_actwin.com>
stated in Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #342:

> 	More on quality control (fwd)
> 	Experts & Newbies, not Experts vs Newbies
> 	Newsgroups vs. APD
> 
-[snip]-
> From: gomberg at wcf_com (Dave Gomberg)
> Subject: More on quality control
> 
> There was a journal on computer performance.  To get it, you had to
> write an acceptable article.   What if we combine that idea with the
> idea of gating and let "qualified" writers join and post to APD and
> gate it one way to the news group (so everyone can read it).  If you
> want to subscribe to APD, you must submit an article or question
> answer to the editor.  If she says yes, you are in.  If he says no,
> there is some appeal board.  It is elitist, but justly so, I think. 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> 
> Dave Gomberg, Experimenta      San Francisco CA USA   gomberg at wcf_com

This is a grand idea...for another list.  APD is pretty much working fine 
as is.  I would like to see the above idea implemented.  It's somewhat 
hard to define experts, so this list would have a dynamic and 
personally relevant definition which would work for the members.  I agree 
that there is nothing wrong with elitism, but why try to remove this 
medium in the process?

> ------------------------------
> 
> From: Pat Bowerman <bowerman at rog_ar.ispnet.com>
> Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 10:54:47 -0800
> Subject: Experts & Newbies, not Experts vs Newbies
> 
-[snip]-
> able to listen in. My advice, please be patient. If you feel that the 
> question is too basic for you to respond to, don't. By definition, if you are 

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement.  There isn't any schedule 
needed of which expert is 'on call' to help the newbies.  If you feel 
like answering a question, go to town.  If you feel burnt-out on newbie 
questions, or don't have the time, or just don't want to answer that 
question, don't.  You have no obligation.  There are enough other people 
here to catch one you miss.  When you feel less burnt-out, start 
answering again.  No problem.

-[snip]-
> willing to deprive yourselves of this, or is your plan to establish a private 
> elite group and still peak in on the regular group from time to time?

Yeah.  That's what I would do if an expert-only group were formed and I 
passed the criteria. (doubtful)

>      Now for the good stuff, have any of our experts ever thought of 
> authoring a book on our hobby? I think that we would all agree that there is 
> a shortage of really good, beautifully illustrated books on aquarium plants. 
> I would buy it. (providing you kept it affordable) Also, I would like to see 
-[snip]-

I know George Booth has a book (I've only seen an electronic copy, so I 
don't know if it's illustrated beautifully) that he sells for a 
reasonable sum.  I think that if we had the coordination for a project to 
expand the FAQ into a book with illustrations it would be valuable to us 
and to others.

later,

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Christopher L. Weeks            |Are the opinions expressed herein 
                                |those of my employer?
Training Specialist &           | 
Graduate Computing Consultant   |Maybe, maybe not...
University of Missouri-Columbia |
Campus Computing                |
200 Heinkel Building            |well...probably not.
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