From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Tue Dec 30 15:31:20 2003
Subject:Can we all reel in the OT a bit?

Hi All,

[This is probably going to make me less popular in the group, but it needs to be said...]

There have been an awful lot of OT posts recently on this list. The CWSG has always tolerated a certain amount of OT, partly just to be nice, and partly because there is genuine benefit to be found in many OT threads. However, too much of anything can spoil the fun. In particular, the amount of one-liner retorts as of late has gotten a bit heavy.

Like about 25% of the group, I receive the daily digest version of the posts. When I was group moderator, I used to archive the daily digests on my website, and I've continued to do the same since I stepped down. That said, the signal-to-noise ratio of the digests has been steadily growing, leading me to question whether there's enough "meat" in them to bother archiving them. This week is a case in point: Since the morning of 12/24, I've received more than 400 messages (in digest form). If I were to take the time to filter out the OT posts and one-liners, though -- and I don't have any desire to do it -- there would only be about 100 "real" messages left. That's a lousy signal-to-noise ratio, IMHO. Every time we see this happen, we lose members. Guess who often leaves first? Manufacturers reps, repair techs, and other industry members, because they only have a limited amount of time to give to voluntary support. When that happens, we all lose.

I'm also a bit bothered by the thread that contained the Animal House reference, and the confusion it caused -- not because it happened, but because of the number of responses that said something to the effect, "Duh! It's a quote from Animal House. Where have you been hiding?" Recognizing a talented but long-departed comedian's monologue is not a required aspect of list membership, nor am I certain that this movie is considered a classic must-see for members who live outside North America.

The three things that have kept this list alive for five years are: a) helpful expertise on Hammond Organ clones; b) a high percentage of relevant threads, minimizing the need to sift through unwanted posts; and c) demonstrated respect for all members opinions and needs. Can we move back towards those items, please?

Regards,

-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com