Out of the last 100 threads on flexcomponents 22 were cross posted to flexcoders. Almost every one (I think with one exception) was cross-posted by the original author immediately to both lists (sometimes as many as 5 lists! flexcoders, flex_india, flexcomponents, ria-india). One of them was pretty much spam, and one of them was a job post (which shouldn't have been posted to flexcoders or flexcomponents, but only flexjobs).
If we look at flexcomponents as a microcosm, then we have: 22% crossposting (1% legitimate cross-posting) and 2% spam. Yeah, this isn't a scientific survey (although I do hope to get real results comparing the full traffic of both lists soon). But I just thought it was interesting. Doug On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 8:44 AM, Anatole Tartakovsky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello Tom, > >>>How is >1 list simpler than 1 list ?<< > > The same way "threads by the topic" are simplier then unsorted individual > email - you read only the ones you need and fold the rest. While you can > argue that you can sort and fold messages with some client email > customization, it is not a trivial task unless your server or client > supports it. > > Basically weborb is 10 messages a day, apollo is 1 and flexcomponents are 2 > - I can manage that in my daily emails. Imagine that we separated the main > list in subtopics and one of them would be "dashboards, charts and BI" - > getting 5-10 messages a day - would you rather moderate that or whole > list? Would it get up in your inbox? What are the chances that a single > mail would get missed by specialist? What about the quality of the answer? > Visibility of all questions and answers on the topic? Am I the only one who > thinks that libraries place books by category for convenience and access > simplicity? > > There is nothing simple about fishing in 100+ items. Tom, as BI specialist > you know firsthand that sorting data in the beginning eliminates order of > magnitude processing later. Let us apply it to our daily life. > >>> But if there are too many they'll just post to them all. << > > There are 2 types of crossposting people - the ones who did not receive the > answer in the previous forum and the ones who cross post from the get go. > The first type is OK - moderator or users can point them to a different > forum. There are periods in flexcomponents that every second message gets > "RTFM" or "go to flexcoders" responses. The second type needs some > discipline. Here is what moderators and users do - saying this is not > appropriate forum, remove the message to make life easier for the rest, > giving warning bans for a day - however harsh it sounds, it works. The goal > is to service the community - not to do somebodies homework. If the forums > are speedy and high quality the crossposting ceases. > > I have seen heavily moderated product forums on compuserve (yes, before > Internet) 15 years ago. You had less then one hour response (datetime > US) time on 90+% of the questions. The volume was about 500 messages across > 20 forums. "General" list was getting about 100 threads, the rest were much > smaller, The answers would be actually correct ones. Vendors would have team > of community moderators that would answer 50%+ of the questions in their > domain - with multiple moderators per topic. There was very little > repetition of the questions as people could search much better. > > Things come in cycles. Please consider this as "best practices" from the > historical point. > > Now for the next cycle - can single list be better then multiple lists - the > answer is yes, but not now > The only way I can see single as an alternative to multiple list is to > enforce tagging of the questions. That in turn means next generation of > email clients or forcing everybody to use RSS type readers instead of email. > We will get to it in a few years, its requires serious update to the email > system. Next generations of email that are to be spam proof can make > topics/tagging exchange a part of handshake protocol. Till then there is no > enforceable way to sort the messages on the senders end. > > > Sincerely, > Anatole Tartakovsky > > > On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 5:02 AM, Tom Chiverton > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> On Tuesday 17 Jun 2008, Anatole Tartakovsky wrote: >> > Multiple lists enforce thinking if it is appropriate before posting. >> >> Maybe. But if there are too many they'll just post to them all. >> >> > Moderators can ban/redirect unappropriate message. Flexcomponents often >> > redirect new users to flexcoders if the question is not about >> > components. >> > You almost never see questions on UI design in weborb. >> >> See what I and Matt said - I think we're on the same page here. >> >> > All in all - let us have the simplest thing possible - multiple list - w >> >> How is >1 list simpler than 1 list ? >> >> -- >> Tom Chiverton >> >> **************************************************** >> >> This email is sent for and on behalf of Halliwells LLP. >> >> Halliwells LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England >> and Wales under registered number OC307980 whose registered office address >> is at Halliwells LLP, 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3EB. >> A list of members is available for inspection at the registered office. Any >> reference to a partner in relation to Halliwells LLP means a member of >> Halliwells LLP. 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