Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #12029



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: "Dennison Bertram" dibst11+@pitt.edu
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 01:27:23 -0800
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Comment on the Periodic Phases of the List and Advanced Lists.A little irrelevant..................


The list goes in it's periodic changes. After each new mass introduction of
newbies the list typically is swamped with rather basic and irrelevant
questions, many of which could be answered succiently if people just browsed
the many, many, websites out there. For example, questions asking only for
someone to e-mail detailed plans, insturctions, parts locations, etc... are
kinda rude, but frequent. This happens. Curiously, the list often becomes
less used as the advancement level of the beamers rise. For example, you and
others may or may not realize that the old Big God's such as Mark Dalton,
Andrew Miller, Brian Bush (sp?) and many others, even including Mark Tilden
himself, used to be a regular feature on the list. As time goes on, you need
the list less and less to follow your own work. It's because you gain enough
expeirnce that you don't particularly need much outside help. Theory is
always interesting to talk about, but thus far many BEAMer's typically turn
into loners with their work.

As for the Advanced e-mail list, it's an idea that's been suggested a
hundred times before. In addition however, there already are plenty of
outlets for Advanced discusions, but no one uses them. It's the nature of
the beast. The postings here do get off topic way too often, but they don't
particularly crowd out 'good conversation' because 'good conversation' only
exists when it does. It is a bit of a newbie hangout, but that's just fine
also. There's a fairly high turn-over of people who are willing to help
others which is important to the list. Attempts to moderate and controll the
content of the list have never worked. I'll admit back in the 'good old
days' things were quite a bit more interesting but se va.

dennison




Dennison ~ I think you and I may agree on this ~ and I hope others may also
~I think this is about the 5th e-mial I have sent to this list so far ~ no
time actually and dont have much to offer ~ other then what limited
knowledge
in electronics allows.

I am to the point of decision to wether or not keep getting this list for
the
following reason

I have gained a lot of insight into electronics, tips, tricks, ect
some from people who are extreamly knowledagable such as Wilf ~ and others
who have taken the time to share their wisdom through shear trial and error
~
very helpful and thank you so much for those bits of knowledge.

however, This list seams to slide off track alot ~ there is alot of what I
concider to be "useless" banter on subjects of person opinion ~ lol ~ not
unlike this one from me ~ however ~ this creates too much unnecessary e-mail
~ and sometimes ~ I just delete all so I can clear space for the next bit to
come out of sear frustration ~(BTW I recieve on the average 300 to 500
e-mails a day) ~ over the past week I have kept track of the number of
e-mails that i felt had "Useful" information ~vs~ those of the above
referenced nature ~ ie useless.

less then 30% was useful ~ the others were what I term to be a waste of
e-mail space.

Sorry to put it this way ~ and like I said ~ I do greatly thank those of you
for the very helpful knowledge I have recieved thus far ~ I just feel the
non
necessary banter needs to be curtailed

one possible method to help this would be to Respond to off topic subjects
directly to the sender in lue of to the entie list ~ or maybe have somone
set
up a message bord for such off topic mail so that the rest of us dont have
to
scan through all to get 3 out of 10 usefull bits of info.

just my 2 bits

Steve


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