Date:         Sun, 14 Dec 2003 14:26:24 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon list use and generally accepted rules./Rules? What
              Rules???
In-Reply-To:  <9c.39541964.2d0df906@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I've used the list a lot in the short time I've been on it and here's
what I've found:


The people who have been on it for a long time know when there's a good
description in the archive, they know when it's covered so well in the
Bentley that there's no reason to write it up in the archive, and they
know when it would be appropriate to site down and write and essay on
how to do something.

Yes, it takes a while to find things in the archive, but if someone who
wrote it says it's in there, it's in there.

For the times that I haven't been able to get answer out of the
archive, and actually have plead for help, I've asked again and someone
has always answered me. I've gotten good instruction from the archive,
the Bentley and from the personal messages from others.

The archive of course will be slow if your ISP is slow, or if all the
kiddies come home from school in your neighborhood and start
downloading music, but that's not the fault of the list. And if you get
stuck in one browser, try another.

Jim



On Sunday, December 14, 2003, at 11:33 AM, George Goff wrote:

> In a message dated 12/14/03 11:31:00 AM, vwnut@HAWKCOMPUTING.COM
> writes:
>
> << Why do people waste their time telling me to search the archives?
> If you don't want to share your opinion and knowledge please don't. >>
>
> For more than one reason, it has always bothered me to see people
> directed to
> that morass known as the list archive.  An archive is supposed to have
> some
> manner of order and ease of use.  And, it is also supposed to be
> regulated by
> an archivist.  The list archive has none of these elements, so let's
> call it
> what it really is: a data dump.
>
> To direct someone to a furtive and, perhaps, futile search of the list
> archive could mean hours of their precious life whenever their inquiry
> can be
> answered by someone spending a few minutes to compose an e-mail.
> Replying to their
> plea for help by condemning them to the "archive" smacks of the kind of
> arrogance which is opposed to the spirit of this list.
>
> Perhaps it is time to totally delete the bloated contents of the list
> "archive" and start anew.
>
> George
>