RE: Replacing Yahoo with a paid provider was Posting etiquette

["Mark Hetherington" <mark.egroups@xxxxxxx>]

> This list has been built up with a lot of work from Mark McCall,
> and others over the last few years, and has developed into a
> community.  Although the ads are becoming annoying, (Nortan
> Internet Security can block them anyway) I am happy with the
> group "as-is" and wouldnt like to see a change.

As a community it will survive whether the list server is on Yahoo or some
completely different server so the community itself and it's origins is not
really an issue for or against the use of Yahoo. IIRC the group did not
actually start on Yahoo but on Egroups or something which was taken over by
Yahoo and altered to fit their particular commercial aims.

Yahoo removed the convert to text option that we used to have which created
the problems people mention elsewhere with HTML emails.

Also IIRC ukha_d came when the original ukha became overpowered. Mark can
probably confirm, I forget the exact history.

Reamining on the community issue, it is steadily growing and things are
bound to change. If you have a one bedroom flat and live alone, it suits
you
fine but when you get married and have a couple kids, you do not stay in
the
one bedroom flat because you like it so much and just try and make the best
of things if you have the chance to get a bigger and or better place.

> As far as the "on-topic/off-topic" discusion regarding the
> fujitsu pads, looking at the Forum that was set up, most
> people are using the units as some form of controller,
> which I think (please someone correct me if Im mistaken)
> falls within HA.

Discussion about use and capabilities quite possibly, I think it is more
the
several hundred emails saying I want x units which promoted people to
suggest the topic was taken elsewhere. About a year ago, among others, I am
sure most long term members will remember Nigel (a major contributor to the
group) left when the list was taken over by epod fever. There have been
other infamous subscriber losses since that time but I don't think we have
lost any other major contributors. Similar bulk buy issues to epods have
hit
the list but they have usually been taken to a different forum when it
became overpowering until the web pads came along.

Some subjects have spawned their own lists which have not always been
successful long term, but have been sufficient to reduce the sheer volume
of
messages and has usually been acceptable to all members.

So maybe as an immediate solution, we could set up one secondary list
(ukha_overflow) which could be used to farm out things like the Web Pad
fever. This new list would remain open always but not dedicated to one
subject or another, merely an overflow system for ukha_d to take the brunt
of subjects which threaten to overpower the list.

Using this two list system, those people who are happy with the approaching
200 emails per day of late can subscribe to both lists. Other members can
subscribe to it's digest or merely when there is a topic there they want to
follow (epods, web pads, ddar, etc). It also avoids fragmenting discussion
too much since since ukha_d will go on as before and whatever overpowering
discussion spilled into the overflow list, once it dies down, it will
likely
be accepted by everyone on the main list in the same way the odd epod
message is discussed here today and will not leave a trail of dead groups
created for a single purpose.

> If you not interested in this topic, just like any other
> topic, then use your delete key (usually located to the
> right of your keyboard) or use rules.

I actually cannot even consider that suggestion in the light it is probably
meant since it is the exact reason used by spammers worldwide. For that
reason if no other I would never encourage someone that the delete key is
the answer to anything. Using rules relies on accurate information in the
subject line which is often not the case with posts.

My 2 cents :)

Mark.