Just some thoughts, I really like this list, and enjoy doing things for it. I am not the fastest typist by far, but being somewhat of a perfectionist, I try to make posts professional, which takes time.
For those who have a problem sorting through the emails and using the delete key and having to spend a few minutes doing it, may I suggest considering those who spend much more time making the list enjoyable and beneficial. I have a day-job like everybody else, and a night job, and hobbies and family and church and a life. But I do take the time to share what I've learned with the listers, if fact, many, many hours in time. Those long posts on hackles don't type themselves. I send out many samples paks for people to try new stuff, and email lots of photos for people to see. There are many others on the list who are also not just in it for themselves, but, even if they are novices, give some time to the list to make it interesting. I never ask anything back from listers, other than friendship. So as someone who invests time in the vfb, I ask only a few things: 1. Please take time to edit the subject line to reflect the theme of your post. It may only take a little tag word to differentiate it from the original. We are getting much better at this, me included. This will make lurking deleters happier. 2. Please make sure questions that you are asking haven't been covered in previous posts. Go back and read your 'deletes' before asking someone else to spend time re-posting what you could have read had you not been so quick on the d-button.. 3. And I don't mean to be offensive, but please, those who are lurkers, be realistic about your expectations of the list. Byard watches the list like a hawk, and fixes it when it deviates from what he desires. I would go with this approach, as this is the best list on the net. Banter is something that has been addressed many times, and until Byard steps in, it's not outside the borders of his vision for the list. 4. Those of you who like being on this list, remember Byard and what it takes in time and what it costs to have this neat place for us- darn near free. We can sit at our bench and get personal answers to problems we are encountering. Realize what that is worth- if you take advantage of it. Do your best to support Byard so that he can continue to provide this site for us. Those of you who support the list and make it interesting, like Jimmy with his 'Quote of the day', invest time in Byard's bank, which is like money if people stay on the list and pay their dues. For instance, Byard is working hard to make the hackle swap neat and tidy for you, whereas you won't be getting a mixed-bag full of plucked feathers to wade through and sort. They will all be ready to hang neatly and use. In return for that, purchasing a bag or two of dry fly hooks, which you need anyway to use the hackles, would be a great gesture of thanks. And I thank all the pluckers for their efforts, too. OK, off my soapbox and back to work. Ekklektikly yours, DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Klemick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 9:03 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Lurker's Grumble > Hi Tom, > > You make really good points about how we can reduce some of the clutter, it > seems that sometimes it's pretty slow going through a mountain of posts. There > is one aspect that I see a little differently, though, so I wonder what you and > others might say. (?) > > I certainly agree that all swap-specific mechanics ought to be handled with > off-list traffic, but from my perspective it does seem appropriate to post > public kudos for the swapmeister when a swap completes. Seems like the right > thing to do, considering their generous effort and organization. The > initiative and follow-through of the swap organizer really makes this list > different and rewarding, and that 'pat-on-the-back' recognition deserves to be > heard. (Same thing goes for the folks who generously make time to post > detailed explanations on technical subjects.) > > But hey, maybe that's the minority view, and any thanks or praise ought to be > privately posted... What do you think? > > > Mark > > ----------------------------------------------- > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > ... > > I know that swapping is > > certainly a big part of what we do on VFB... but may I suggest that > > swappers consider swap related e-mail and ask "Will this be of interest to > > the majority on the list?" The discussions about Hoffman feathers is > > example of wonderful information resulting from a swap... bring it on! But > > questions to the swapmeister about the status of the swap, kudo's, thanks, > > etc. might best be given off list. > > ... > > Tom Davenport > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com
