----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I would also like to add my voice to the crowd endorsing the "big
list concept". As a contribution I am adding a message that I had
sent to GIS-L a while ago. I was on my soapbox about the poor use of
the subject line in messages, but there is comment in here that is
applicable to this disscussion. I am also sending it because this
message caused me to receive more "way-to-go!" applause mail than
anything I have created before or since!
 
The headings could be chaged for the purposes of this list.
 
----appended message ------
 
 
May I add my voice to those who call for intelligent use of the
Subject line in email messages. (Yes, I have been guilty of repping
a message to death in the past!)
 
If all users did this, much of the need for sub groups (and the
organizational and user overhead that would go with them) would be
mimimized. Efficiency of reading would be increased dramatically by
the prescanning of the subjects in the list of messages for the day
(or morning, whatever). (Imagine being able to delete all the
subscribe/unsubscribe messages BEFORE reading them!)
 
If we could develop accepted/frequently used headings for our notices
new users would see them and adopt them too. Examples might be:
 
DATA NEEDED:            e.g. DATA NEEDED: Lower East NJ
STANDARDS:              e.g. STANDARDS: NTSR errors??
GONZOGIS:               e.g. GONZOGIS: Customer Support Rigor Mortis
(or other systems)
CONFERENCE:             e.g. CONFERENCE: 1st C. on silly terms in GIS
other ideas please...
 
(the idea of an informal tree structure like the reverse of the back
end of an Internet address comes to mind here, but it is too late in
the day.... Data.needed.nj.drainage
            Data.newrelease.nj.drainage
            Job.needed.US.MSc.newgrad       ???)
 
Realize too, the use of the Reply command can lead to subject
problems. For example, the recent message about UNB (see my subj
line) wasn't about UNB at all, but about the term Geomatics, a line
of discussion that was started by the UNB announcment about their
name change. (Interesting that none of the messages commented about
the school, just their dislike of the term Geomatics.)
 
Like many others (especially those who are stuck with the list
server and not the reader) I am swamped with messages. I need
mechanisms to filter. Division only serves to hide things from
various users. Those gems that others referred to may, no will, be
lost to the Inet grazer. Let's try to avoid it.
 
If this sounds a little pompous, sorry. It is more like the
confessions of an ex-sinner!
 
 
Ideas??????
 
-----end of appended message------
Cheers,
James
 
James Britton                          [log in to unmask]
GIS and Cartography Programs           (705) 324-9144
Sir Sandford Fleming College           (705) 878-9312 FAX
School of Natural Resources
Box 8000 Lindsay, ON Canada K9V 5E6
 
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