RE: UKNM: ADMIN: Times are a changin'

[Jim Sterne]

At 01:45 AM 11/9/98 , Steve Johnston/IMRG wrote:


>I expressed my concerns in terms of the lists growing popularity and how 

>the references to media publicity at the time would accelerate this. Not 

>because I am elitist, but because as the list grows, the productivity will 

>fall.


Jim steps up - a bit chagrinned - and agrees.

You're quite right that as new people join the

list, they will ask the same questions again

and again. Glenn's original list spawned quite

a few others in its wake and they are all at

various of youth. That's why I continue to 

subscribe to UKNM - the members are stiff chewing

on interesting bits without over doing it. Yet.


>In closing, maybe it impossible for a list like this to survive its 

>success.


At 11:18 AM 11/9/98 , Sam Michel wrote:


>Maybe, although I'd like to think not. I suspect the dynamics of a mailing

>list are a great deal more complex than the simple equation of more

>subscribers = repeating subjects = boring list. We shall see.


So far, that's what we've seen. Steve Johnston read the

Internet Marketing posts and that's what happened there.


>On the hand [says Sam]

>you could look at the Online-Ads list run by Richard Hoy

><http://www.o-a.com/>. Although the traffic is pretty chunky, I think he

>does a pretty decent job of keeping the list on topic.


Yes he does, but Internet advertising is a much newer 

topic of discussion. More important, it is a marketplace

unto itself. When Thunderlizard put on the Web Marketing 98

conference, lots of people came to learn how to do Web sites

well. When they put on Web Advertising 98, lots of people

came to talk about buying and selling --- to each other!

It was a schmooze fest. ad:tech was the same way. The 

industry was coming together for a meeting of the clans.


That makes banners, etc. a more volatile discussion and

one that has a lot further to go before it starts to repeat.


>The alternative to this is a much stricter

>moderation policy and an archive of the messages for folks to look at

>before posing obvious questions.


Glenn gave that a shot and I recommend it highly. If for

no other reason than everybody can feel free to ask a

"dumb" question, and the good souls on the list can

say, "Go look in the archive under the thread entitled

'xyz' and tell us if there's something in addition to

that you'd like to know."


>Whatever

>happens, it's likely to be a while before sheer numbers overwhelm us.


Due to the laws of lurking, it won't be the numbers of

readers, it will be the repetition of discussion. One

alternative is to start a new list called UKNM-Old-Farts.


The original UKNM can roll on and on and the same questions

can be asked by new people in new and interesting ways and

the Old Farts can move into the parlour with the cigars

and brandy.


Steve finished up with:


>I do however reject your suggestion that I am freeloading. My contribution 

>to this community is without doubt professionally motivated, but I care 

>that it is an effective debating ground, as there is a constituent to my 

>participation that is to do with loyalty to my profession as opposed to 

>loyalty to my employer. 


Yes, yes and hear, hear and three pats on the back.

This list is better because you participate - yes.

Your opinions are some of the more well considered 

and better expressed- yes.


But Sam does the work. 


At the end of the day, Sam has to empty the ash trays

and sweep the floor. For that he deserves more than a

clap on the back and a "Hail fellow, well met."


---------------------------------------------------------

Jim Sterne              Target Marketing of Santa Barbara

jsternetargeting [dot] com

            http://www.targeting.com

Author, Speaker, Consultant               +1 805-965-3184

Internet Marketing & Customer Service Strategy Consulting

Subscribe today to the mostly monthly "Full Sterne Ahead"

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