Let me say that Laura stated my position almost exactly. I was trying to figure out how to say it. I am somewhat disturbed by all the talk of voting, especially when it got complicated by the suggestion that people would remove cookies just to vote multiple times. Get real! we are talking about a gerbils list. It doesn't really matter to most of us. So those of you who are dominate, make a decision and do it. If we don't like it, we can fix it later. It's not rocket science or the source of world peace.
Kathleen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura O'Brien" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 3:59 PM Subject: Moving the list Ok, Julian, here's one lurker you've persuaded to come out of the woodwork and add her two cents' worth. I know you've been asking for more discussion on the issue of moving the list, but I suspect that most of the members on the list are like me, and feel that because we don't post much, if ever, we really shouldn't be imposing our views on the rest of the group. I really think that most of us won't much care where the list is, as long as we can continue to read up on helpful advice for our little furballs. If you can get 3 or 4 people to agree to moderate, then they should be the ones to decide on the location, based on what's easiest for them. And if you get only 1 or 2 to agree, start with that and let others know that the positions are still open. Now, with that being said, I will still venture to offer my personal opinions on the matter of where to go. . . You wrote that we have the following five options: a) Tony's offer of his private server. b) Michelle Haines' husband, Kirk, an IT professional has offered to host the list for free. c) Yahoo d) Topica, like yahoo, but less complicated, but does not have some of the add-ons like polls, and file areas that Yahoo have. e) Somewhere else I agree that Tony and Kirk are most generous in their offers, but I also feel that for such a large list, it would be asking too much to lay the responsibility on a single individual. That leaves Topica and Yahoo, for the time being. Yahoo may have some features that Topica doesn't, but do we really need those features? Before this issue came up, when was the last time anyone on the list talked of wanting to take a list-wide poll? It seems from what I've heard that Topica offers a quieter nook for us to get on with our business than the commercial environment of Yahoo. Also, as one third of the list is already subscribed, it seems we're well on our way to going with Topica anyway. And who's to say that any decision is cast in concrete? If we have major trouble with Topica, why can't we change? That wouldn't be a decision lightly made, but it is still an option if we don't like whichever list we try. It would seem wise to move the list soon. But Julian, as much as you might try to get us all to act like a democratic society, my guess is that we're more like a herd of sheep waiting for the collie to lead us--oops, wrong list. I mean, we're more like a clan of gerbils waiting for the dominant ones to tell us where to go. So, how about this--just tell everyone that the list will be running on Topica by the 1st of February, end of story, and they have one week to resolve any major issues with that decision. As our "unofficial" moderator, and the one who's taken most of the initiative on this, I believe you have the right to make that decision. So, there's my two cents' worth. And if you're really stuck for a moderator, and if it really won't take all that much time, I might be game to give it a go. -- Hoping to see all of you on Topica, Laura in Dublin PS--Is there anyone else from Ireland on this list yet?
