On Sun, 14 Jan 1996 12:27:07 -0500 John Senft <[log in to unmask]> said:
 
>Required  Volume?   The  band's  current   paper  mailing  list   has  a
>subscription of approximately  10,000 people. I don't know  how many are
>electronically enabled,  but I expect hundreds  will initially subscribe
>and it will grow to a couple of thousand within a year.
 
The  *cost* of  running a  free-for-all list  with ~2,000  subscribers is
significantly higher than  the prices you have quoted.  We're talking one
to two zeroes,  depending on how often  people write to the  list and how
many  people have  a digest  subscription. Yes,  there are  providers who
charge  way  below  costs  because   of  inexperience  (ie  they  grossly
underestimate their costs).  If you want to go this  route, make sure you
get a  written commitment so that  you don't find yourself  in the street
when  the provider  realizes that  your $100/year  list (or  whatever) is
actually using up about 1/3 of a $35k workstation. And make sure that the
provider guarantees a  minimum level of service in  writing, because when
they find out that you're making them  lose big money and they don't have
the option of terminating  the service, the next best thing  is to let it
degrade  until you  have  no  option but  to  move  elsewhere. Your  best
protection, if you can afford it, is  to go with a provider that actually
makes  money on  the list  and  has every  reason  to want  to keep  your
business :-)
 
  Eric