AMBER Archive (2009)

Subject: Re: [AMBER] RE: AMBER: mail list

From: M. L. Dodson (activesitedynamics_at_comcast.net)
Date: Wed Jan 07 2009 - 10:04:02 CST

Ross Walker wrote:
> Dear Mark,
>
>> Is there a way that one could possibly limit the number of emails sent
>> through the list? Is there a digest or something, like the one VMD has? I
>> would like to be part of the mailing list but there are so many messages,
>> and its driving me crazy. Thanks.
>
> We have just moved to a new mail list server which technically will support
> digests, however, for the moment this is turned off - largely because the
> benefit of the current approach is that people can reply to individual
> messages and these messages get delivered to the mailing list as well. This
> means that we get an effective archive built up which acts as a very good
> database of knowledge.
>
> However, we may be open to trying out the digest options but would prefer to
> wait a few weeks until things settle down.
>
> In the meantime can you not set up a simple rule to move these messages to a
> sub folder? Most mailing clients support this.
>
> For example I have a rule that moves all messages with amber_at_ambermd.org in
> the recipients address to a folder called Amber Mailing List. In this way it
> does not clutter up my inbox and I can read it at my leisure.
>
> All the best
> Ross

Re. the email digest issue:

In my experience, the Amber mailing list is NOT high volume, but
rather moderate, at worst (or best, depending on your point of view).
And the content makes it all worthwhile. I learn something almost
every day.

My second point is that people who subscribe to a list digest never
seem to edit out all the irrelevant parts of the digest when replying
to one of the messages. This results in all of the subscribers having
their mail boxes (and local archives if they keep them) stuffed with
text that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. We have to wade
through all that to see the parts that are important. A real pain.

It also makes searching for some random posting from 3 months ago
slower and less accurate.

I side with the "put in a filter to sort the messages into an
appropriate folder where you can deal with them at leisure" folks.
The result is the same as a digest from the point of view of the
subscriber, but without putting the extra burden on everyone else.

If the list volume is really too high for you, just unsubscribe and
visit the web archive every week or so. Looking at a threaded version
of the archive is a good way to follow the course of the discussion.

My 2 cents.

Bud Dodson 

-- 
M. L. Dodson
Business Email: activesitedynamics-at-comcast-dot-net
Personal Email:	mldodson-at-comcast-dot-net
Phone:	eight_three_two-56_three-386_one

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