"I will not be able to continue as EdStat listowner in my new position. . . I would like to hand off (or discontinue) the EdStat list by the end of May, at the latest. . . I think we need to consider, however, whether spam and viruses have rendered the mailing list obsolete. Perhaps the existing sci.stat.edu newsgroup could fulfill the need that has been met by the list."
I know nothing about "newsgroups" and have never used them. However, I subscribe to many discussion lists. Most are unmoderated and yet I almost never see any spam on these lists. Also, most viruses are contained in attachments and most lists instruct their servers to automatically reject posts with attachments. This also prevents Digests from being clogged with pages of code by servers that can't handle attachments.
I think EdStat'ers might consider the advantages of EdStat's migration to a location that can sponsor placing EdStat on LISTSERV software such as e.g., AERA-D (Measurement and Research Methodology) with archives at <http://lists.asu.edu/archives/aera-d.html>. Some advantages of LISTSERV software are:
(a) LISTSERV archive search engines allow searches by subject, author, keyword, time, or any combination of those. To see this try the AERA-D search engine at <http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=aera-d> and compare it with EdStat's at <http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/archives/>.
(b) One can subscribe using a "NOMAIL" option [this may also be possible for EdStat], thus allowing one to monitor posts on the archives at one's convenience, submit posts at will, and receive NO MAIL from the list! The latter is a big advantage to those whose mailboxes are always overflowing.
I have been told that NCSU's Information Technology department insists that all NCSU lists, including EdStat, use the antedeluvian Majordomo software, but not all IT departments are so unreasonable.
Surely there must be a subscriber to EdStat who is willing to serve as listowner and whose institution has an enlightened outlook on the support of discussion lists and the use of modern software. If I were not retired I'd consider it myself.
Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University 24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake> <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>
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