[BlueOnyx:01848] Re: Un-subscriptions...?

[Chris Gebhardt - VIRTBIZ Internet]

Jeff Jones wrote:
> I've noticed a couple of things recently.
> 
> 1) A higher volume of mail from the list, regarding user specific  
> situations such as SMTP security issues, mailbox perms, etc.
Which is a good thing - activity is great, and the lists have always 
been a great place to go for help.  I'm glad to see this continue.

> 2) A number of people attempting to un-subscribe from the lists.
I've seen 2 this month.

> I'm worried that there are many people on this list that could be  
> worthwhile contributors to the BX project - are genuinely interested  
> in following it, but are choosing to leave simply because they are  
> getting more and more emails, but finding fewer and fewer posts on the  
> list that are relevant to them.

Filter your mail to another folder.   Look at it when you get a chance.

> I have to admit - some mornings I wake up and there are 10 emails on  
> one discussion alone. Sometimes it's relevant to me and I read through  
> all of them, and sometimes it's not, so I delete them. More often than  
> not, the latter. The system is not very selective. I mean - how can it  
> know what I find interesting?!?!
> 
> I'm not trying to rock the boat or anything, but isn't it about time  
> we looked at a forum system? Don't we think this project has got big  
> enough now?

Respectfully... NO!   There may be a few list-to-forum 3rd party out 
there, but really, who uses them?  The pros?  Not likely.   Why not? 
Because they (we?) don't have the time to go clicking through web pages 
searching for somebody new to help.

And that's the big problem with the forums.   The people most qualified 
to help don't have the time to screw around with them.   So what you 
wind up with (notable exceptions apply) are a bunch of people asking 
questions that go unanswered, or worse, take up 4 or 5 pages with 
chatter and babble, and MAYBE get to a point.

> This would be the best as we would be able to subscribe to the  
> topics / categories we are interested in. Plus with a search feature,  
> we won't be solving the same problem again and again as new people  
> join up.
> 
> I just worry that the list at the moment can generate quite a bit of  
> email load and that might make people leave which would be a shame.
> 
> I used to find Bryans old Nuonce forums invaluable for finding issues  
> via search - and I have to admit that had he used a mailing list, I  
> don't think I would have carried on using BQ - I simply would not have  
> been able to find answers. I think his forum was instrumental to him  
> growing such a high user base. Could the lack of one be limiting BX?
> 

Why not?  Can't you use the search function in your email client?   All 
my list mail (for Cobalts, BX and BQ) is filtered to its own folder and 
I can review it periodically at my leisure.

I *would* be in favor of putting in a better search function to the 
list.  Which gives people the same ability to search for answers on the 
web that a forum would.    I know that functionality exists - just a 
matter of wrapping it into Mailman.

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
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