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Re: Newsgroup, internet growing

Now I feel rather silly that I made my rather complete response 
to the virus post.  You on this group already knew about it. :-)

However, this does bring up a good (biological) point:

You get the flu (influenza), build a tolerance, and never catch
the same strain again.  We'll call this tolerance, or acquired
immunity.  Ditto with the 'Good Times Virus'.  You'll never catch
that strain again, huh Justin?  :-)  :-)  :-)

However, there has rarely been a better example of geometric
(logarithmic) growth than the internet:  For the past ten years, 
there are NINE newbies on the internet in each ten-month
period for each ONE OLD PRO that was there a mere ten months
before.

In other words, if you got on the internet TEN MONTHS AGO, you
have more experience on the internet than 90% of the people you
meet!!!!!  Doesn't that make you feel like you're an expert?  :-)

Thus, we will continue to see pyramid schemes, get-rich-quick
schemes, and even the 'Good Times Virus' for many years to come.
Some newbie will find this information each month/year until
the new traffic growth drops and everyone becomes more literate
(we have nine times as many newbies drudging the archives each 
ten months).

I'm sure we've seen it on this list:  Even though I was aware of
these statistics, I never would have guessed ten months ago
that this list would have gotten this big this fast.  For the
same reason (nobody's fault, I don't know that we can change it),
we will continue to see the same questions on this list over
and over.  :-)  :-)

I do rather like the polite/courteous/helpful behaviors exhibited
here, though.  ;-)  Big doesn't have to mean "bad".

--charley
cbay at jeppesen_com, cbay at verinet_com  Colorado, USA