Jim, Thank you for your comprehensive feedback. You make some valid points. The immediate problem is managing all the things that you would like Flexradio to do. We simply don't have the resources at this time to do so, whereas, the Yahoo group approach allows the "User" to do the things that a staff member would otherwise do. The listed disadvantages are small in comparison to the advantages of having a dedicated site for basic operation of the SDR. I suspect that when we get a dedicated webmaster, we'll probably want to make some changes on how we disseminate and track information.
Thanks again for your input. John P. Basilotto W5GI Marketing and Product Manager FlexRadio Systems Office 512-250-8595 Mobile 512-663-6727 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Jim Lux Sent: Sunday, March 12, 2006 11:08 AM To: Tim Ellison; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Announcing the new SDR1K Operating and Use Discussion Group on Yahoo At 08:36 PM 3/11/2006, Tim Ellison wrote: >To all, > >John, W5GI informed me that there isn't a Yahoo based discussion group >that is geared specifically for SDR1K users and potential users to >inquire and discuss how they use their SDR1K in different operating >modes that match their operating interests. So he asked me to establish >such a group that would be more easily searchable from the net for >people looking for information on the SDR-1000. I expect this forum will >be included as a resource on the FlexRadio home page in order to get >maximum visibility. In view of recent discussions about mailing lists, forums, and discussion groups, doesn't this create a problem with spreading the information too thinly around? What purpose does this serve, compared to, say, the reflector and/or the existing forum at: http://flex-radio.com/forums/ Will someone have a responsibility to edit and transfer useful information between venues? I appreciate the desire to provide a place for people to go find information about the SDR1000 without being scared off by the esoteric discussions of bugs in not-yet-released pre-beta software. This has prompted the suggestion of splitting the reflector into a "user list" and a "beta/developer list", however the suggestion seemed to have been widely deprecated. The fundamental problem is that if you want the "ad hoc free support" that is provided by a free-ranging reflector (anyone can post, with however simple a question, and probably get it answered) you also get all the free ranging discussion of perceived defects as well as desirable but not yet implemented features. The latter discussion can be perceived as inimical to things like product sales. If you split the reflector (or create an alternate venue, such as a web based forum or Yahoo group), you potentially lose the participation (in the new venue) of the knowledgeable people who can answer for free. Now, if you have someone who's JOB it is to answer questions, and to frequently update a FAQ, drawing from information in the more technical forum, and who can cross post the questions, it might work. It will take a lot of dedicated work on the part of someone to keep both lists up to date, and develop the useful indexing and editing needed. If the goal is making it "web search findable", I suggest that there are better ways to accomplish that. >The Yahoo SDR1K Operating and Use discussion group has a few unique >features that are not present on the Reflector to help out the new and >seasoned users alike. > >Calendar of Events: >There is a calendar of SDR1K related events that can be used to make >sure you know when Teamspeak is happening, or when Gerald is giving that >talk at Dayton. As events such as attendance at hamfests by FlexRadio or >talks being give by renowned users of the SDR community are scheduled, >we'll put them in the calendar. The calendar uses GMT as the default >time zone, so all times are in UTC Why not just put this on Flex-Radio's web site? Rather than using Yahoo as an intermediary. Yahoo groups DO come with some baggage (email harvesting, advertising, emails from the group getting bounced by corporate filters, blacklisting, etc.) >Useful Web links: >There are useful web links, such as where to get Delta44 drivers or >Phil's Vcom drivers. I would hope that the SDR1K user community would >contribute heavily to this resource. Again, this should be on Flex-radio's website, shouldn't it. I would (and do) expect that flex-radio.com is where I go to download software or find links. The last thing I want to do is "google for it" and hope that some yahoo group space comes up, and that I can remember which yahoo username I used works for that space, etc. >SDR User Database: >This is a database of SDR users, where their QTH is located, what their >SDR1K configuration looks like and how they use their SDR1K. This >essentially is a database of SDR "elmers". You never know when a >potential SDR convert might be in the next town over and could use a >little personal demo to put him over the edge. Why could someone not look at the last month's worth of postings of the reflector and find at least someone to email for a potential answer? People send me emails all the time saying, in effect, "I saw your name in XYZ discussion on the web, and I was wondering,....". As long as their subject line makes sense, and isn't something like "NOW, NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY" or "Re: Hello" or "BARRISTER DEF SENDS GREETINGS", I'll open it. For that matter, it seems that if someone sent an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (or <anything>@flex-radio.com), that someone at flex could respond with a "Why don't you contact W1ABC, he's near you and has a SDR1000" Likewise, I would think that it's flex-radio who's the obvious candidate for keeping a database of SDR users (at least for SDR1000s).. perhaps you want to roll in SoftRocks, USRPs, WinRadios, etc. in which case setting up a separate entity makes sense. But that's a HUGE task (comparable to, e.g., setting up an organization like TAPR, AMSAT, or AMRAD). Worthy, but going to be tough to get traction. >Files download Area: >This is a place where you can download files for SDR users to share. As >an example, I have placed a small Access DB with my BandText table for >those that want a starting point for a more detailed Band Text. There >are other files there as well. useful, but something that I don't think you need Yahoo groups for. Do you need the access controls from Yahoo? Is the volume so high that users couldn't just mail the files to something like [EMAIL PROTECTED] and someone at flex could post them on their "user contributed files" page? It's helpful to have moderation for this function, or else the file posting area can become a repository for undesirable files that are not even related to the SDR1000. >Polls, Chat and Photos: >Here are a couple of tools that might come in handy for those wanting to >contact some one one-on-one, upload pictures of their operating position >or take an informal poll on what Buffer settings folks use for the best >CW operation. Just more tools for those who want to use them. Why could these not be added to the Flex-Radio website? I suppose that in one sense, Yahoo gives you "free-ish" disk space and bandwidth to support the function (but it *DOES* come at a cost (cited from Yahoo's privacy and business policies webpages): - We provide the information to trusted partners who work on behalf of or with Yahoo! under confidentiality agreements. These companies may use your personal information to help Yahoo! communicate with you about offers from Yahoo! and our marketing partners. - Yahoo! displays targeted advertisements based on personal information. Advertisers (including ad serving companies) may assume that people who interact with, view, or click on targeted ads meet the targeting criteria - In order to determine if email messages are opened and acted upon, Yahoo! includes web beacons in HTML-formatted email messages (messages that include graphics) that Yahoo!, or its agents, sends. In general, any electronic image viewed as part of a web page, including an ad banner, can act as a web beacon. Advertising networks that serve ads onto Yahoo! may use web beacons in their advertisements. - Yahoo! may update this policy. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by ... or by placing a prominent notice on our site. </quotes> Frankly, I trust Gerald and Flex a heck of a lot more than I trust Yahoo. Yahoo is a profit making entity, as is Flex, but I feel that my interests are more aligned to Flex's than to Yahoo's. Yahoo has a very, very different set of goals, that are, in some ways, antithetical to the whole idea of open source, etc. As it happens, I AM a member of several Yahoo groups, but, I've found it a less facile way to deal with the information than traditional reflectors and well designed and edited webpages, particularly for technical things. What Yahoo groups seem to work better for are things like maintaining some degree of communication among a very large group thats not very connected(e.g. arranging high school reunions). For support for a "product" a well run manufacturer site is a far, far better way to do it (if only because the mfr will presumably take the mass of comments in response to a question posted in a forum or reflector, and discern the inner kernel of the question, and give a coherent and short answer) Jim, W6RMK _______________________________________________ FlexRadio mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://mail.flex-radio.biz/pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
