Folks, is it just me or is this forum getting to big to be easy to keep track of? I used to be able to read all the new posts in a few minutes and go on - now it would take hours! I am even having trouble finding my own posts to reply to people - have to search for my name! Does anyone have a suggestion to take care of this?

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), January 17, 1999

Answers

Paul,

I have this problem too, big time! New callers and a lot of new messages have come to this forum since Thanksgiving and since January 1st.

One specific suggestion: we should title new threads with specific information, such as "Koskinen worried about the railroads" instead of "Have you read this?" That way we can read the threads useful to us and skip the others.

Any other suggestions from the rest of you?

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 17, 1999.

Well naturally, as the year 2000 comes nearer and nearer, people are getting more nervous by the hour. I don't know what to do about it myself. I would say, get yourself a hundred cans of beans, and then just wait it out.

-- Obin (Obin@fla.net), January 17, 1999.

Follow your intuition on thread reading.

I've given up on trying to keep up! If something really important posts, friends are welcome to e-mail me about it for a "red flag." Or if some key research needs to be performed, etc.

Perhaps, if someone really wants a response to a non-working "e" they could post a top-level question/answer using a person's name in the title line.

Otherwise, I second Kevin's suggestion in trying to create a more descriptive thread title (think future search engine). However, expecting posters to stay "on thread" may be too restrictive. Freedom of digital speech and meandering minds 'n all. (A troll delete or eject capability would be useful).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 17, 1999.

How about this for thread titles? Not perfect, but if something like this (anyone have better ideas, pls) becamse conventional, would sure help.

1. News: "White House Reports .... x"

2. Prepare: "Question About Generators?"

3. Talk: "Why I am Right About Y2K and Everyone Else Is Wrong"

-- BigDog (Big Dog@duffer.com), January 17, 1999.

... hey, 3. was just a joke, BTW. You can never be too careful these days!

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), January 17, 1999.

Chuckles BigDog! How about:

LINKS: Know Your ...

Will post another one tonight.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 17, 1999.

We really need a search engine. Is that fixed Oracle one going to be ready in two months?

I'm on a ListServ that organizes topics along the lines of

BOOKS: Brief unique description
MISC: Brief unique description
PREPARE: Brief unique description
PHILOSOPHY: Brief unique description
BREAKING NEWS: Brief unique description
FEMA: Brief unique description
GEEK TECH: Brief unique description
etc. etc.

But usually the posters on the ListServ do not follow the rules or categorize their posts according to subjects. Threads go off topic by the fourth addition.

Here, perhaps one thing that will help is if thread starters carefully choose their Category when formulating a New Message/Question. The already-archived categories are:

* Admin/sysop items
* Alternative energy
* Awareness/general
* Banking/finance
* Economy/jobs
* Embedded Systems
* Fallback planning
* Food
* Government
* Health/Medicine
* IT/Computer Industry
* Legal issues
* Military
* Misc
* PC/Home computers
* Stock market, etc
* Survivalist issues
* Techno-geek questions
* Technology
* Telecommunications
* Transportation
* Utilities
* Y2K Media Coverage
* Uncategorized

Also, those wishing to start a new thread might want to look over the past 3 day's worth of New Questions to see if that news article or subject has recently been posted.

I can't keep up with the Forum anymore either, but try to survey as many threads as time allows.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 17, 1999.

Go down to the bottom and look in "Older .. by Category" for areas of your interest. Rather than starting at the top of this.

Also it would help if people would add to existing threads rather than starting new ones.

-- d (d@d.com), January 17, 1999.

Come on folks, - let's not despair - not just yet.

The forum IS valuable, as are all the posters, however, the key to this BB remaining useful is:

Self-disciple!

1) First, allow me to suggest that all subscribe to the email posting service - it is much faster than trying to read through threads [don't believe it? try it, time yourself - see how much time you'll save] Takes mental discipline to remember the various threads in an out- of-order sequence, but that's not impossible.

2) Refrain from posting in html and use plain text instead; plain text is far easier and faster to read and still gets the point across; though presentation does sometimes enhance the transport of the message, in this context, plain text is very adequate and probably best for all; this is, after all, an "information service" - not an ad agency; to those who post in html, let me suggest that you try reading one of your own posts as an email - betchya stop using it! [we should be sharing the quality of our thoughts - not necessarily the quality of our html prowess...]

3) Self-filtering : Think before one posts; - When in doubt, don't; - If one weighs the real value of the message one is about to post - and if its value is marginal - save it; - sleep on it; shortly, one will know whether the world needs that thought, or whether the world can live without it; if the world needs it, post it! One might ask oneself: what value will my intended post contribute to the overall big picture of the Y2k event?

4) Stay on point; be brief, be concise; be factual, provide references; let the lawyers do the arguing.

5) If a post is going to be long, [and some need to be] write the first draft in a word processor [I use Microsoft Works]; edit, spell check, layout, etc., then cut and paste to the Answer post. Spelling and punctuation, etc. do enhance the conveyance of the thought.

6) Unless one has a need to converse with another over a world-wide party line, we ought to confine our personal postings to private emails; one might try to "agree publicly" and "disagree privately" [unless the erroneous former posting might physically harm another, and even then it should be done cordially.]

7) If we claim to be civilized, in the end, courtesy still has currency; gentility counts. [think of Ed standing over your shoulder asking : do you really want to say that? do you really need to say that? of what value is that? who will be edified by that? etc.]

8) Provide your name and email address in the post; if one is reading emails only, it allows one to quickly jot off a private reply to the poster without having to look through the threads for that information. Again, the automatic email service is the key - if we will use it.

Let's hang in, clean up our act and see this thing through. We all have lots to learn and lots to accomplish; this forum can continue to be an asset for us all. In the end, Ed has been very magnanimous to provide this forum for the world to share; surely we can comport ourselves as "citizens" of the world, in the finest Aristotelian sense.

Thanks

Perry Arnett

pjarnett@pdqnet.net

-- Perry Arnett (pjarnett@pdqnet.net), January 17, 1999.

Perry, I use the eMail for all posts, and love it! Especially when the server is busy, I can still see what's up. But, right now I'm 1346 eMails behind, so a speed reading course might be helpful ;-)

I too recommend the eMail option; try it; if you don't like it, unsubscribe. And yes, your name at bottom helps. My sacrificial X's to the cybergnomes stand in for my name most of the time ;-)

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 17, 1999.

I, too, use email alerts for all the Greenspun forums. Incoming is 275 - 400 a day.

I sort them by Subject, highlight the first one, put my finger on the delete key, and read, read, read...

However, I would REALLY LIKE A SEARCH ENGINE!!!!

~C~

-- Critt Jarvis (critt@critt.com), January 17, 1999.

You people are just making it too complicated for the rest of us. Maybe some of you trolls want to make this site more complicated than it really is. This site is very simple, read the title threads, click on it and decide if I want to read it or not. Just leave things as they are, you only make things more complicated than they really are. Why not start your own website the way you think it ought to be.

-- reallurker (reallurker@lurker.com), January 17, 1999.

I pretty much agree with "reallurker". We are all guests here, of Mr. Phil Greenspun and MIT (even Ed, as he's told us himself on at least two occasions).

I'm not interested in making anyone's email harder to read, but I think that the simple stuff (like italics and bolding) shouldn't present much of an impediment to someone who can use a computer and email and the net. As for the "hairier" stuff (like posted links), I can easily see where that could get annoying. I see it as a toss up between the annoyance of those using the email notification and the convenience to those who don't and can simply click on a link. If a consensus arises on the forum, one way or the other, I'll be glad to go along.

For keeping track of where I've been and want to return (things are getting rather large around here), I simply "bookmark" the threads I want to keep track of.

I agree wholeheartedly with Perry in regard to restraint in posting (Do I really need to post this?), brevity (although this is my own Achilles' heel), spelling and grammar, "personal" conversation and most especially, courtesy and civility (both are free).

A number of us (for various reasons, all of which would obviously self-destruct if disclosed) find it necessary or desirable (or both) to post anonymously. It is apparent that the email functions are not viable for this group. In my own case, I feel that the pros and cons of anononymity are pretty much a "wash".

The bottom line here, I think, must be cooperation and consideration for the rights of each other.

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), January 17, 1999.

My vote is to keep the links. As I do not use e-mail, it is a real help to me when I want to dig a little deeper. (Is that brief enough?)

-- Lois Knorr (knorr@attcanada.net), January 18, 1999.

I have suggested several times in the past that people use the email option to receive and read posts.

Everyone wants a search machine? My email reader has a global search feature. I can put in any key word(s) and get all the posts in which those words are contained in the body. I can immediately save off any I want to keep and refer back to them at any time.

You can specify a header and skip through all unread messages, going directly to those in that thread. Reading threads in that manner is just as easy as using the web site. Switching to another thread is much faster than using the web since the page does not have to load each time.

It also cuts down on what may soon become overwhelming server usage by reducing extraneous responses. When you have to make a special effort to post a reply, if it isn't worth saying, it just isn't worth doing.

Me.

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), January 24, 1999.

Hardliner, yes bookmarking the threads has helped me greatly over the last couple of weeks. Like most of you, I haven't had the time lately to read and followup on everything. Set up folder categories by your on VIEW of things and save the threads as you see fit.

MoVe Immediate

-- MVI (vtoc@aol.com), January 24, 1999.

Forgot something. When any urls are put into posts, they automatically become hot links when received in the email program. There is no need for typing in html tags when posting.

Me

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), January 24, 1999.

useful.

-- considerate (thoughtful@posting.here), June 01, 1999.