Was just going thru my items for follow up in outlook, and found this one.
So, do we have another list yet? Bazza -- Barry Carlyon Webmaster LSRfm.com/LSweb.org.uk/leedsaction.co.uk/luubackstage.com mobile: 07729048443 skype: barrycarlyon _____ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matthew Cashmore Sent: 16 August 2007 10:42 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: When are we going to get another list? (was: RE: [backstage] BBC iPlayer Protest tommorow, Tuesday 14th, 10:30AM, White City) Hey all - was going to announce this when it was actually working - but I've set up a new list called backstage-developer; it's a list totally devoted to developers and technical issues around BBC feeds and APIs - it will be policed to ensure this is the main aim of that list. You'll still be able to post these questions to the general list and I'm sure people will still respond - but I think there's real value in some of the conversations on the backstage list and I don't want them to stop. As soon as I can get MajorDomo to play with the list correctly I'll post details on how to join here. m On 16/8/07 09:25, "Andrew Bowden" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Behalf Of Brian Butterworth Sent: 16 August 2007 08:47 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: When are we going to get another list? (was: RE: [backstage] BBC iPlayer Protest tommorow, Tuesday 14th, 10:30AM, White City) Chris, "Finally, remember that the noise is the signal. You can't post too much. Deploy filters." http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html For my sins, I've been involved with online communities since 1996. During my university years it sometimes felt like I did little else. There's one problem I've personally seen with the signal to noise argument, it's that in a situation where there's huge amounts of noise, ultimately people get fed up of filtering out the noise all the time, and can't be bothered adding the signal - because it feels like, "what's the point?" Then there's the second problem - people who newly join a list, just see the noise all the time, wonder where the signal is, then disappear off. I've even seen communities wither away and die because of it. Now sometimes signal to noise works - it helps a cohesive group of people together. I'm on a couple of mailing lists where the noise helps the community bond closer, so new people become new friends. (However of course, it can make lists look a bit insular - which can make it harder to join lists as a newbie) It's also got to be said that the majority of people on a mailing list don't post. I don't know the stats for this list, but I'm on a mailing list of 300 people, about 20 of which post regularly. There's a lot of readers, and occassionally some of them post, but mostly it's reading. Why do people join a list and not post? Well to get the signal. So if there's very little signal, you lose your incentive to remain a reader. Sorry, but my own experience says signal to noise is NOT a simplistic situation as some people like to think. When the noise works, it doth good. When the noise doesn't work, it doth big harm. _______________________ Matthew Cashmore Development Producer BBC Future Media & Technology, Research and Innovation BC5C3, Broadcast Centre, Media Village, W12 7TP T: 020 8008 3959 (02 83959) M: 07711 913241 (072 83959)
