Bob,
I would say that you lined up the correct reasons.
A similar situation happened with the email list of the Mercedes Benz Club
of America.
MB North America was supporting and hosting their list, until it was to much
trouble.
I do know from MB people first hand that they keep monotoring the list,
because that gives them the best (free) feedback available regarding MB
products, and this without them getting involved.
Your points 1, 2, 3 & 4 are the same as MB had trouble with.
Points 3, 4, 5 & 6 costed MB 3 employees full time.
Another example for the automobile industry, Land Rover North America has 4
part time employees to monitor the several LR related lists. My oldest son
did that during the last summer.
Land Rovers North, an independent dealer, closed their own list for your
point 1, 2, 3, 4.
Mecedes Benz in Tuscaloosa, AL, where they build there M class SUV (Soft
Urban Vehicle, no it's not a Sport Utility Vehicle) has 2 part timers
monitoring M related lists.
And my Browning list is also monitored by Browning.
It is a very normal trend in most industries to gather all the free
information from lists.
fredd
Regarding the lists where you have to put up with a lot of crap, ever been
on the Tactics list ?
> 1. Opinions expressed on the list were not the official position of
Pentax .... Corporation
> and they felt that the opinions might be damaging to Pentax's reputation.
What Valentin
> used to call FUD - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
> 2. Potential for liability concerning information given on the list,
given they were
> sponsoring the list. (We have become a very litigious society.)
> 3. Dealing with people who communicate with them saying, "I heard on
the PDML that...",
> or words to that effect.
> 4. Calls from folks whining to them that someone talked mean to them on
the list. Some
> lists I participate in (I participate in 4 photo groups and 10 firearm
groups) are warm,
> friendly unmoderated pub like places filled with jovial folks. Some are mo
derated, no
> nonsense places. Their value is limited because they attract few members,
all of whom are
> 'know-it-alls' and therefore the available useful information is often
limited. Some are
> cold, unmoderated continuous cat fights. You can get your information, but
you've got to
> put up with a lot of crap with half the folks engaged in 'net policing'
and the other half
> defying the net police.
> 5. Problems associated with list maintenance. Navidec provided no easy
means to contact
> them when problems occurred.
> 6. Cost. The list is a drop in the bucket compared to Pentax USA's
operating expenses,
> but when corporate funds dip, the least justifiable costs are eliminated
first regardless
> of how trivial they are.
> 7. Some other reason non of us has thought of.
>
> I don't think wild speculation about new products would have anything to
do with it.
> Speculation verbiage which reflects unfavorably on Pentax and it's
products might be
> troubling, but not the speculation itself.
>
> Regards,
> Bob...
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