HI, Robert...
As Larry Macy pointed out, the list had this news group discussion some
weeks back. In an "early internet life" I tried a news group. I got 1) not
the info that I was looking for, 2) not the personality that this list has,
and 3) more commercial e-mail and spam than you could shake a stick at.
(Others may have different experiences, I report mine!) I also saw flaming
that makes anything you could imagine here seem tame. Here on this list
there aren't 'flamers' as much as there are folks who can be somewhat
strong-minded at times... but can't we all?! The people here are a bit more
civil than the run-of-the-mill joes who sometimes like to hide behind a
keyboard and start trouble. (I used to have a BBS and know whereof I speak.)
In this venue (mg list), a blatant flamer can be calmed. On the f-body list
(Firebirds and Camaros -- long story...) two guys that I know of were
banned from the list for deliberately trying to waste bandwidth by being
vile and defamatory. A list owner has that ability. I don't know about
the news groups.
As far as making this list "bigger".... isn't that what caused you to bring
the subject up in the first place? I suppose I'm a "separatist". I don't
advertise this list anywhere. I will tell good folks about it, however. I
suppose I'm still a bit gunshy after the flaming news groups. And I've seen
my downloads here go from 20 messages per day to over 100 per day.
My delete key works just fine.
Just my thoughts, along with Ross and Larry and Nory and.... and.....
Carol
At 01:40 PM 3/15/98 -0500, Robert Newell wrote:
>I appreciate everyones feedback on the news group, even those who did not
>agree with me. :-)
>you did point out some valid points such as :
>
>1. spam. yes, it can be avoided, by making a change in your "reply to:"
>address in your news program, and writing the real one in the body of the
>message so if someone wants to mail you they can.
>
>2. flame wars, off the subject material, etc. yes, this can happen, but in
>my experienced most auto related newsgroup are relatively free of this.
>
>Also, starting a news group would not end this mailing list, in fact it
>could make it bigger if you tell others on the news group about it.
>
>and as Robert Weeks pointed out:
>"If someone wants to start a usenet group, why not let them? No one
>says you have to partake in it. I'd rather have as many sources to
>draw information from as possible. Not all of the MG owners in the
>world are on this list, by opening new avenues of communication
>between MG owners we may gain from the experience of others who know
>nothing of this list."
>
>also John Van Syckel:
>"Starting an MG newsgroup would not limit the number of messages, nor the
>content, but would download to your machine faster. You'd still have all
>the same good stuff, just a bit faster and more organized. :-)"
>
>in my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and if you don't
>want to join the news group you don't have to. Even if the newsgroup were
>started, it would not harm this mailing list in any way.
>
>thanks again,
>Robert Newell
>
>
>
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