Date:         Wed, 26 Apr 1995 10:06:16 +0200 (MET DST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Thomas Schuster <schuster@mzes.sowi.uni-mannheim.de>
Subject:      Re: German Wants To Join!


On Tue, 25 Apr 1995, Jerry Dunham wrote:

> What's the big deal about getting (or not getting) Germans on this list?
> The Atari groups I frequent have nearly as many Germans on them as
> Americans, and that's an American product, fer cryin' out loud.  I'd
> think a list devoted to a German product would find Germans dominating.
> Where are they all hiding?

Sometimes, I asked this question, too. In fact, there were several "real" 
Germans joining the list in the past, but most of them disappeared after some 
days or weeks. I think, there are several reasons for this phenomenon.

First of all, especially at the beginning it is very difficult to follow 
the conversation with all this strange vocabulary and abbreviations an 
average German does not know: tranny, CV joint, pushrod tubes... And all
this stuff you do not find in an ordinary dictionary.

Secondly, there are really lots of messages every day. And you must be 
rather enthusiastic to work through all this stuff.

Thirdly, concerning computer networks, I have the impression that Germany 
is a "developing country" compared to the States. There are just not 
many bus owners who have access to the Net.

HTH

T.S.

83' vanagon