a healthy list...

[Kurt Simpson]

Sorry to see you go Pete...the truth is that a healthy list needs all types to sustain itself. Those of us who've been around for two years don't expect to discover too many new things about the KLR. And yet, every now and then we do. I, for example, have learned much from Verle Nelson's on and off-list exchange. What keeps us coming back is a balance and a sense of community. In my book, Gino can entertain us for the next 10 years if he likes. Why? If you own every issue of Kawasaki 650 Dual Sport News and Dual Sport News the answer will be self-evident. The contribution he's made to the body of knowledge surrounding the bike is incalculable. Not to mention the aftermarket support for the bike he has personally generated. The same goes for the other court jesters on the list...Redondo Ron and the Thunderbus Crew especially...has anyone found a finer carb article than that prepared by Ron? I'm sure they're both embarassed by this direct defense...so to broaden the scope I offer a snip of an excellent article on the subject written by L.T. Snyder in MCN a few years ago. I received permission to print it by former editor Lee Parks. Kurt Simpson (2517 klr list posts and counting) __________________ Motorcycle Mailing Lists: FAQ's & Answers by LT Snyder March, 1999 (Reprinted with permission from Motorcycle Consumer News, www.mcnews.com for subscription info) Part III of IV Without technical experts and active majordomos the listserv wanders and gains no knowledge. Technical experts also encourage "threads" to be maximized. A thread is a discussion topic in a given issue. After opinions and constructive input are exhausted on the topic, the technical experts make a mental note of the outcome and file it away for future use. These experts also steer discussions away from trivial topics and try to ensure that the list matures. This is a difficult feat because of the second type of mailing list participant-the "newbie." A newbie is a new person either new to a particular mailing or to e-mail in general. He or she usually does not read the FAQ beforehand and barges into a list asking the same old questions. The newbies are most destructive to any list because they have no discipline. Questions that shouldn't be asked are asked and messages that should only go to one individual are sent to the entire list. One-half of all newbies are gone in the first month following subscription. Once they realize that their in-box is getting flooded by messages that they can't fathom, they frantically try to sign off or change to digest mode. While newbies constantly frustrate mainstay members of the mailing list community, they are a necessity, for every experienced member of any mailing list was once a newbie. Lists that are mature value newbies and try to convert them into experienced participants. All it takes is one nasty comment to a newbie to turn him or her away from a list. In doing so, a potential asset to the list may have been scared off. The frustrations caused by newbies can be somewhat alleviated by the third group of subscribers-the "entertainers." The entertainers on any list are those that make quips to amuse the other members. At their worst they are boring. At their best, they can stimulate the list to new heights by putting some jocularity to technical discussions. They also build a sense of community on any list by referring to past messages or by scheduling get-togethers for the mailing list, so that members can meet face to face. There is a subset of entertainers that are a bit egotistical. They enjoy seeing their post plastered over the listserv and enjoy the power that familiarity brings. Like most things, with listservs you have to take the bad with the good. Some people you will like and some you will not. The last type of mailing list member makes up what I call the "lurkers." The lurkers are made up of two types of subscribers The first are those that try to milk the listserv for pertinent information without giving any help to others. These people sign on merely to get information on a bike that they desire or have just purchased. The second type of subscriber in this category is one that is looking only to sell or buy things on-line. Some have products that they manufacture and others just want to unload some stock parts laying around in the garage. Both kinds of members offer little to the list, and benefit from the work of the few that share a dedication to the list community. It is sad but true that most mailing list members only read their mail and perhaps send one or two messages to the list during their tenure on the listserv. They are content to read the discussions to get ideas for their bikes or scour messages looking for deals on parts. These types of members add little to the list discussions, and deny the list their rich experiences. Some are shy and others are just afraid to voice what they have to say for fear of being criticized. Whatever the reason, they are an untapped asset on any mailing list.