I thought this might be of sufficient interest to LSTOWN-L
readers to merit x-posting of it, with permission from Wes.
 
Glee
 
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Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 01:10:07 PST
From: [log in to unmask] (Wes Morgan)
To: [log in to unmask]
 
{previous topic's text deleted}
 
This brings me to a few burning (for list managers, anyway) questions:
 
[  PERSONAL OPINIONS FOLLOW -- READ AT YOUR OWN RISK 8)  ]
 
      Q: Should my mailing list be a digest or a repeater?
 
      A: That depends on several factors.  You should consider the
         number of postings per day, their size, the number of sub-
         scribers, and the "general load" on the host system.  You
         can take advantage of existing software to implement either
         method; it's up to you (and, hopefully, your admin as well).
         A digest requires a bit more effort on your part, but the
         benefits are great.
 
         You should also consider the purpose of the list.   A list
         for fans of The Struggling Expectorate could probably sur-
         vive quite well as a digest, but the "security incidents in
         progress" list would depend on timely delivery.
 
         Your choice in this matter is not final; you may decide to
         move to/from a digest format as the list matures.  It's fairly
         common for a reflector list to grow to a point where digestifi-
         cation is needed.  I've particpated in several lists that began
         as reflectors, moved to digests, and continued to grow happily.
 
      Q: Should I archive my mailing list?  If so, how should I make
         it available?
 
      A: Again, this is up to you (and your subscribers).  Some lists,
         such as those devoted to particular hardware/software platforms,
         contain enough technical goodies to warrant complete archival.
         Others develop a list of Frequently Asked Questions, which is
         posted regularly (monthly, in most cases) and made available
         for retrieval.  The "conversational" lists are, in my experience,
         rarely archived.
 
         If you want to make archives or FAQs available, talk to your
         system administrator.  If your system supports anonymous FTP,
         you may be able to place your materials there.  You can also
         handle such requests by hand or implement a mail server to de-
         liver them automatically.
 
         How much to archive?  That depends on your taste and the limits
         of the system you're using.  If you have a high-traffic list,
         your archives could balloon in size.  If you run into problems
         (not enough disk space, don't have anonymous FTP), ask your
         subscribers!  You can usually find someone who'll share the load
         with you.  If you have access to Usenet, you can post your FAQ
         to the newsgroup news.answers.  (Posting to Usenet will also
         give your list more advertisement)
 
      Q: Should my list be moderated?
 
      A: This is, perhaps, the diciest issue in mailing list management.
         There are several points to consider:
 
            - Moderating a list will require a *large* chunk of your
              time.  You can't moderate "some of the time"; you'll be
              examening each and every posting that comes down the line.
 
            - Moderation can cause real problems among your subscribers.
              Moderation implies the existence of evaluation criteria,
              and you MUST be fair in your actions.  I've seen lists
              in which certain people get "blackballed" for various
              reasons, and it has a real chilling effect on the other
              participants.
 
            - Moderation usually reqires a digest format; it's next
              to impossible to moderate messages as they come in, and
              you'll wind up spending even more time on it.....
 
            - It is ESSENTIAL that your subscribers are aware of the
              moderator's policy.  You can't just 'decide' that a par-
              ticular subject/posting/person is improper; you've got
              to have an established set of criteria with which to work.
 
      Q: What about commercial stuff?
 
      A: As always, this depends on several criteria.
 
            - Many, if not most, academic sites have policies which
              limit the "commercial use" of their systems.  If your
              list is (or becomes) "Today's hot deals at Joe Shmo
              Computers, Inc.", you could make life difficult.
 
            - Consider your subscribers.  Some lists, such as "New
              Equipment" or "Printers" lists, could be expected to
              have a reasonable amount of commercial traffic.
 
         In my experience, limited commercial traffic *related to the
         discussion* is acceptable.  Don't let subscribers start broad-
         casting flyers and/or price lists "just for the heck of it".
         The difference?  Something like "we had that problem, and we
         found that a BlipCo PX93/388 fixed it; here's their address
         and phone number" would be okay, but "Here's the new price
         list for BlipCo, hot off the press for our customers" is going
         to be shot <and quickly, as far as I'm concerned!>.
 
Other questions as they come to mind......perhaps this could be the basis
for our FAQ. 8)
 
- --Wes
 
 
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