Re: [tlug] Re: Suggestions for splitting of mails?

["emiddleton@example.com" <emiddleton@example.com>]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> emiddleton@example.com writes:
>
>  > The issue is not to help amateurs write better subject lines, though
>  > this is an added advantage.  The issue is that most of our 'experts'
>  > can't dedicate a lot of time to such a general list.  The current
>  > situation has been that they either lurk or disappear altogether.
>
> AFAICS, experts don't read TLUG because they're looking for feet to
> wash.

Well I can only speak for myself, but helping people is part of the
reason I read and reply to other peoples posts.

> I believe they read TLUG because there are interesting and
> friendly people posting.  If somebody posts about multimedia codecs,
> Marcus will typically pick up the thread.  If somebody posts about
> dictionaries or codecs, Jim B will often join in.  I don't think that
> uninformative subject lines is much of a deterrent.
>   

And we very much appreciate their posts but the number of Jim B and
Marcus are few and the number of lurkers and leavers are many.  Not to
mention a significant number of user are approaching the list with
English as a second or third language.

> I think that tags are mostly for searching or browsing the archives
> for general information about a specific problem.  Online, they're
> somewhat useful to follow the progress of a technical thread (eg,
> SOLVED or SUMMARY tags), and to save Josh expenditure on keitai and
> keyboards (not to mention his coffee costs).
>   

We are talking about something very different.  Think flickr tags, or a
folksonomy[1]. As Josh suggested I will put something more concrete on
the wiki.

Edward

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy