News Group vs. discussion on gallery

Jim Lewis

Pat writ:

> G'day All...
>
> Why should I use this NewsGroup, or the General Discussion
Gallery, or both?
>
> Have a good day...
>

Well,

1. There are twice as many people reading the news group/mailing
list than read/use the gallery; 4 times as many who USE it, since
most of the users on the gallery pages are "visitors" who can't
post.

2. The folks who DO use the General Discussion" area of the
gallery are (GENERALLY speaking) much less experienced than those
who read and use the mailing list and gallery. There are some
very experienced and well known users of the pictorial parts of
the gallery pages, but most of them do not deign to use the
general discussion area. Or, if they read it, they don't answer
questions. (Go back as far as you like and see who it is that
DOES respond; not many different folks there.) Most (many) of
the answers I've seen on the web-based discussion are from
beginners who have read a couple of books and are at the stage we
all went though where we know we know it ALL.

3. The discussions on the newsgroup/mailing list often are
conducted in much more depth (and by more people). Some of the
recent threads (over this weekend when I was gone, there were
several nice topics).

4. The World Wide Web is the absolutely most clumsy means of
having a discussion that I can think of. It is GREAT for posting
a picture, then discussing it, posting virtuals, etc. (and as a
site for ego massaging as are many of the pics on the gallery).

5. Besides, and this should be the most important reason, you
may not want to choose just one of the two options, because you
want the *absolute most number of opinions and views as you
possibly can get.*

I'm sure that this will change over time, especially if the
clumsiness of web-based discussion can be overcome.

Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Posting from
the news group because I'm getting "unknown user" errors from the
list address

Advertisement

Pat Patterson

G'day all...

Thanks for your well stated comments, Jim.

It just seems to me that every time we add a new "gallery" or Discussion
group", etc., to the IBC web site, it simply dilutes the "original news group"
even more.

Maybe I'm just slow, but, by the time I go through the IBC News Group, the ABS
Forum and the Main Gallery, my time allotment is shot. And, heaven forbid if I
should miss a day or two!!!

I feel like I'm being forced to make a choice between the News Group and the
Discussion.

Even though I'm retired, I do have a life ouside of bonsai...my wife keeps
reminding me of that.

For what it's worth...

Have a good day...

Pat...back to the 100F temps today

Dez of the Arizona High Dezert, at 4550', Oracle, AZ,
2000' above Tucson Sunset Zone 10 USDA Zone 8
aka: Pat Patterson 'riding off in all directions'

Jim Lewis

"Pat Patterson" <dezertrats@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040615032043.02177.00001352@mb-m28.aol.com...
> G'day all...
>
> Thanks for your well stated comments, Jim.
>
> It just seems to me that every time we add a new "gallery" or
Discussion
> group", etc., to the IBC web site, it simply dilutes the
"original news group"
> even more.
>

Well, I thought that when the web discussion board was created
and I STILL think so, but I no longer run the list, and have
never run the web.

I find web-based discussions to be terminally clumsy. But then,
I still like books. From reading messages here and on the WWW
I've come to the conclusion that most computer users don't read
books any more and rely on the web for information -- despite the
fact that ANY idiot can write something and put it up on some web
page.

The web discussion will eventually cause the demise of the
mailing list, I'm sure. Rec.arts.bonsai, of course has a life of
its own and will limp along as the alt.bonsai group has for
untold years.

Of course I have been unable to send or receive to the list for
several days now and don't know why. And, I think the link
between RAB and the list may also be broken (though that may just
be because the list isn't working right??)

Shelly? Are you there?

Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Rivers are ribbons that tie us
to the spirit of the land - Jeff Rennicke