** Matt Emson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [2006-03-01 01:36]: > > I'm missing the issue that peeps are having with the google groups move. > > > > If we have to move - what's the issue with google ? > > Hmmmm... many reasons. Some personal, some not. Google is only part of it. > The other is the feeling of being herded into a pen, ready for market. We're > being told to bugger off and sort ourselves out. > > I guess I just don't like the tone of the emails from Dan. The whole "there > are over 500 subscribers and only 50 have moved." I think the way this > whole thing was gone about is way too rushed. There seems to be no > alternative but to sheepishly follow. I was just hoping someone else had a > better solution. Maybe not, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I go to > Google Groups. ** end quote [Matt Emson]
I have to say (well I guess I don't, but I will!) that I was somewhat taken aback by the suddenness of the switch. I know that there have been problems with MacLaunch for some time with spurious bounce messages, but given the length of time this had been accepted I really wasn't expecting change any time soon, and certainly not with the speed that it is happening. That said, you really need a degree of urgency otherwise discussions will get split between the two locations. As you say, the tone of the emails has been rather abrupt, and from those that have been sent to the lists regarding the switch over: 1st PowerMacs 56 out of 606, or 77 out of 338 depending on which is accurate! G-List 143 out of 737 PCI PowerMacs 59 out of 562 I do wonder whether this move is actually decimating the list membership - or is it weeding out those that just can't be bothered to unsubscribe? What it is doing, to my mind, is diluting the LEM identity since the lists are being lost in the mass of other Google Groups, including other Mac ones. Back when they started, when they were still a techies haven, I was a big fan of Google. Their search was quick and the results were useful. Now they have just become the new Yahoo! Most searches are swamped with unwanted advertising sites and there is an art to finding what you want. I guess that is partly the penalty of success. On the technical side of things, I have already got a Gmail account and so signing up was relatively easy. Once done I found problems with the Gmail filtering and bounced several emails around with the Google support until I explained to them how to fix the problem and suggested they investigate a proper fix to their code. Now I drop in every once in a while to mark the unread messages as read, so my participation (such as it is) has dropped (reading being most of it I guess). I have yet to work out how to route my Group emails to a non-Gmail account without either forwarding them (thus messing with the headers in a manner I'd rather avoid) or setting up a second Gmail account specifically for the Groups (which seems a PITA, I'd rather not have yet another account). Alternatives involve abandoning LEM and that involves the possibility of splitting the list membership. Setting up a new list elsewhere is the easy bit (it's just technical, and taking this list in isolation, it is a fairly low volume entity to work with). Deciding whether that is the best way to keep the majority of subscribers to a list (I'm being generic here!) is the tricky bit - especially when that involves splitting away from the 'parent', even if that 'parent' is also moving. Anyway, it's late and I'll end up rambling - more than I already have! -- Paul Tansom | Aptanet Ltd. | http://www.aptanet.com -- Mac UK is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 123Inkjets.com <http://lowendmac.com/ad/123inkjets.html> Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Mac UK list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/mac-uk.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-uk%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
