My votes - 1. Limit the jokes and combine with useful information: yes.
2. Have message categories on TREG: yes. 3. Fix the "BOUNCE . . . " subject headers: yes. -----Original Message----- From: David Drori [SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, June 23, 1997 4:27 AM To: TREG Subject: Avoiding undesired TREG messages by categorizing Dear Treggers, I have been following the recent flood of messages with dismay. It detracts from my satisfaction with a forum that is otherwise a professional and extremely useful one, and which benefits from the enthusiasm and public-spirited nature of its members. Personally, I prefer not to have my mailbox filled with messages that are irrelevant to me, just as I prefer watching a film on TV, uninterrupted by advertising. I do not like having to wait on-line for an extra couple of minutes receiving undesirable items, when I am expecting an important letter. I also hate having to sift through endless repetitions of a joke with added comments. There are plenty of opportunities for wit and humor, but I really do not consider that a whole message should be set aside for this, except possibly once a year on April Fool's Day (even once a week is too much for me), which provides a transient opportunity for true revelry. Instead, one might add a brief witty remark during the course of a message devoted largely to useful regulatory matters. Some members do not agree with me. However, they are perfectly entitled to think otherwise and to have different expectations from this forum. Therefore, I wish to suggest a way of trying to please everybody, and at the same time overcoming one of the main shortcomings of TREG: the large volume of messages that are sometimes received about a subject that interests only certain members. What I propose is to divide TREG into several sections: telecom analog, telecom digital, telecom acoustics, EMC, Safety, descriptions of information sources, test equipment, job postings, regulatory humor, and -- dare I suggest it -- advertising (which, under control, can serve a useful purpose to us all), plus others that you may feel are worthwhile. Each of the TREG sections would have its own address for submitting messages, which would mean that the sorting process would run automatically at the discretion of those posting the messages. Assuming that this is feasible from a technical standpoint, then at the inception of the upgraded forum, each of us will need to send a SUBSCRIBE message, indicating which of the sections interest us. Each member will subsequently receive only the messages posted on the sections he has specified (or all messages, if the member has so requested). If a member is interested in viewing messages in a section that he or she has not specified, the Web site on which TREG postings are published will be the place to go, just as it is today. The subscriber will benefit from the advantages of the site's search engine, and from not having to store huge amounts of information locally. I am also unhappy with the number of messages that contain no useful title in the Subject field, and I have the following suggestions: 1. There appears to be a technical limitation in the server operation that often causes the subject to appear as "BOUNCE treg,...". This ought to be corrected (if possible) to allow the subject name, as submitted, to appear in the message when it is subsequently distributed. 2. I feel that some subscribers could go the extra mile to think carefully about subject names, so as to pack maximum information about the content into a few words. This will help all of us to sort the wheat from the chaff. 3. Separate messages should be used to discuss separate subjects whenever this is practical (which it usually is). This aids in choosing an apt subject name, and filing information for later perusal (and will help decide in which section to post a message, assuming that my proposal is adopted). One last point: I fully agree with Vic Boersma's recent remark about some members not identifying themselves. For several reasons, I suggest that every message should include full details of the originator, including all means for reaching him (address, telephone and fax numbers, and preferred e-mail address), and the name of the organization to whom he or she belongs, if any, Well, that's my effort to transform what I see as a setback into an evolutionary improvement to our own little world; to come out of this minor debacle strengthened, with our social order and efficiency improved, and all members happier -- including those whose quality of life is enhanced by piping periodic doses of regulatory humour to their screens, as the case may be. I sincerely hope that something comes of it! Best regards, David Drori --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------ Novarex Enterprises Ltd., POB 2833, Jerusalem 91028, Israel. Tel: +972 2 581 0995 Fax: +972 2 581 3750 Mobile: +972 5 067 8686 E-mail: [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
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