[boulder.pm] activity on this list

Wayde Allen wallen at boulder.nist.gov
Thu Jan 20 15:35:52 CST 2000


On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, Walter Pienciak wrote:

> This list is pretty quiet -- damn quiet -- as lists go.  I 
> made a deliberate decision when I started it: stay in the
> background and let it evolve into something the group wanted,
> rather than trying to control or direct it.
> 
> But I'm wondering if that was a good strategy.

My experience in setting up around 10 different mailing lists is that the
"hands off" approach never works.  Someone has to be willing to drive the
conversation for a while.  It takes time for people to get to know each
other.  You also have to have some continuous information content to keep
people interested and to attract new subscribers.  None of my mailing
lists have ever really had self maintaining discussions until they reached
a subscriber base of 200+ people.  At least not anything resembling
continuous conversation.

> And if this group
> is in danger of dying for lack of something.  If so, I'd like to
> find out what that something is.

I don't think I've seen anything that indicates the group is dying.  I
just haven't seen anything that begs for my participation yet. 

> Feedback time.  Stop lurking, put your fingers on the keyboards,
> and tell us why you're here, what you hoped the list/group would
> be, and what needs to happen to get it there.  Please. 

I have only just recently gotten involved with Perl programming, and
figured this list would be a good place to hang out and ask questions.  I
also am the founder of the Boulder Linux Users group (BLUG), and wanted to
keep up to date on Perl/Linux activities in the area. 

> I haven't gone ahead and scheduled another meeting, but I didn't
> get many responses when I asked about preferred times/date.  Would
> it be easier if I just scheduled it rather than trying for some kind
> of consensus to develop?

You probably will never get a consensus.  Just pick a time and place and
see who shows up.  

> And what about those meetings?  Do you want formal "Tuturial on something"
> style meetings, or a place to hang out and brag, or a mix, or . . .
> what?  How often?

I've had good luck with the BLUG meetings where we find someone to talk
about something before hand.  This gives you something to advertise, and
minimizes getting a group of people together to sit around and stare at
each other (some of the first BLUG meetings were like this).  I wouldn't
make if "formal", but it does help to have something going on.

> We have 48 people on the list, each of whom was interested enough to
> sign up.  What do you want?

I'm guessing that like most people the primary reason I signed up is
because this is, or can be, a source of good information and contacts.
How this is accomplished is really not that critical, and kind of depends
on what the person leading this thing wants to contribute.

- Wayde
  (wallen at boulder.nist.gov)




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