From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Dec 21 10:51:45 2005
Subject:List Etiquette

Hi All,

Recently, I've seen several statements that have been either confusing or only partly true. As the founder of the list, and the author of the charter, let me paraphrase the list rules about posts that have some monetary benefit to the poster.

1. Generally, ALL commercial posts follow the one-time rule. You can tell the list about your product or service; just don't keep beating the members over the head with the news.

2. As a list member, I can announce any item that I have for private sale -- one time. "Hey, guys, I'm selling a mint 1973 Minimoog on eBay. Here's the auction number," is fine.

2a. "Hey guys, my Minimoog auction ends in three hours, and the price is only up to $300. I can't believe that you're going to let this one go!" is *not* OK -- it's a continuing sales pitch, which amounts to spam.

3. As a list member who also makes a product, I can announce the product -- one time. "Hey guys, I just created the most amazing B-3 emulation, and it only costs $10 per copy," is fine.

3a. "Hey guys, none of you want a great sounding $10 B-3 soft synth? I can't believe it!" is *not* OK -- again, a continuing sales pitch.

3b. "Hey guys, I'm having a December sale on my B-3 soft synth," is borderline. OT1H, it benefits potential customers who aren't aware of the sale; OTOH, it's annoying to list members who already decided that they didn't want the product, sale or not. If email #3 and #3b are say, a year apart, it's probably OK; if they are three weeks apart, it's not OK. The same is true of feature enhancements, price reductions, or content lists.

4. All of these rules apply to Speakeasy and Roland, B-3 Magazine and Keyboard, your local dealer and Guitar Center. The size of the operation CAN'T be the deciding factor; otherwise, it's OK for every small music store and startup product in the world to join the list and send out monthly flyers and marketing releases. There are already plenty of places to find these items. Having or lacking money/power is not the criterion for whether a post belongs on the list.

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And finally, a personal opinion: List rules shouldn't be dictated by mob rule, or the whims of a few opinionated members, regardless of whether the outcome hurts or helps one's personal situation. This list was started as a discussion group for ALL clone products, with a non-commercial style. If it evolves into a XK-3, Electro, or B-3 Magazine list (all products that I don't personally own); or a Speakeasy or BX-3/CX-3 list (products that I do own), that's just wrong. Yahoo Groups (and others) allow one to start any sort of list, so the right thing to do is create a new list to discuss a specific thread. Don't hijack another list for an unintended purpose.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™ http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com

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