It is interesting to examine the nature of lists. I belong to several, disparate topic, lists: Photoshop, color theory, InDesign (Adobe layout), several photographic, and a couple of other fly-fishing/fly-tying. The software ones, particularly those populated by professionals such as InDesign, are lively because new problems (upgrades, switch-overs, etc) are always arising among the pros and new people (usually new "owners") with problems appear and disappear. The traffic on others is generally light. Even the "pro" software lists wander off-topic from time to time, but in one case they have a haiku Friday to help members get a little silly on a regular basis.
One of the huge changes in the craft of fly-tying during the past decade is the avalanche of easily available info. More than a few list members can remember when the web had but a modest amount of fly-tying material; today it spans thousands of sites. One doesn't have to ask a question of the list, just "Google-it" and the chances are excellent that you'll find the answer (how quickly depends entirely on your "Google-skills" or luck). What that means to me is that a purely fly-tying-topic list is doomed to gradually dry up and disappear. To attract new members, a list must have (IMO) at least moderate traffic. So what is the raison d'etre of a fly-tying list? Social interaction? Swaps? Fly-tying questions, observations, new products, etc? I would suggest all if we want to maintain a lively list, however, the first, social interaction, should be restrained. We once had a member whose name went into my filter system for obnoxiously excessive posts, the only time I had to do that. I like Jimmy's solution. By all means start a conversation here, but once it gets to the GOB banter stage, take it to another list or multiple-addressee email. Like Tony, I'm still here and am likely to stay for the same reasons, but I wouldn't mind using the Ctrl-Shift-A delete keys less often! cheers Paul -- Paul Marriner Outdoor Writing & Photography. Owner: Gale's End Press. Member: OWAA & OWC. Author of: A Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns (co-author), Stillwater Fly Fishing: Tools & Tactics, How to Choose & Use Fly-tying Thread, Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies, Miramichi River Journal, Ausable River Journal, and Atlantic Salmon.
