X-Message-Number: 988
From: Kevin Q. Brown
Subject: Mailing List vs. sci.cryonics 
Date: 14 Jul 1992

Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 11:57:03 -0500
From:  (William Dye)
Subject: CRYONICS mailing list vs. newsgroup

Dear Mr. Brown,

     Thank you for the cryonics mailing list, which I've enjoyed 
for the last few weeks.  Now that cryonics has a newsgroup, 
however, I don't know if I should quit the mailing list and just 
read the newsgroup.  What information is on the mailing list that 
is not on the newsgroup?

--Will ()

[ Will, I think it's too early to tell.  The sci.cryonics news group
  is quite new and hasn't really been "shaken down" yet.  Also, the
  decision best for you may not be the best for others.  The sci.cryonics
  news group, true to form for most USENET news groups, is fast-paced
  and chaotic.  It's like asking for a drink of water and getting blasted
  with a fire hose.  The news group started on my USENET machine only
  one day ago and already has over 70 messages on it!  Most of the
  messages are on "beginners" topics, with a lot of replies and replies
  to replies, largely consisting of quotes of the previous replies.
  Nevertheless most messages have been on either cryonics or cryonics
  related issues, not strictly abstruse philosophy, politics, etc.
  Several of the members of this mailing list have been quite active on
  sci.cryonics, quickly responding to the queries and/or mis-statements
  of newcomers.  I think that sci.cryonics currently resembles in many
  ways the cryonics debates on sci.med.

  FYI: A kind person also sent to me the messages from the first few
  days of sci.cryonics and I just ran some stats on the combination of
  that set plus the first day's worth of messages on my USENET machine.
  Messages to sci.cryonics have been posted by over 80 people so far
  and they have had almost 50 different subject lines already, too.
  That shows a lot of participation and interest in the subject!

  So how will sci.cryonics relate to this mailing list?  Currently, the
  sheer volume of sci.cryonics exceeds the acceptable bounds for this
  mailing list.  If you really want everything, then please read sci.cryonics.
  I plan to forward to the cryonics mailing list messages that seem
  interesting, thereby effectively providing a pruning & digesting
  service.  Of course, my tastes may differ from yours, so if I missed
  something that you think is important, please call my attention to it!
  (If you consistently dislike my selection, you can start your own
  digest, too.)

  Also, I would like to start forwarding mailing list messages to
  sci.cryonics when we start new threads.  I will need some assistance
  in coordinating that, though.
  (1) If you send a message to me and do NOT want me to forward it to
      sci.cryonics, please let me know about that!
  (2) If you both send a message to me for the mailing list and also
      post it on sci.cryonics, please let me know so that your message
      does not get posted to sci.cryonics twice.
  Certainly not all mailing list messages will go to sci.cryonics.
  Mailing list administrivia and some of the mailing list - specific
  threads should not go there.  Copyright issues also arise.  Whereas
  sending a copyrighted article to a limited group of people on a
  private mailing list may constitute "fair use", sending the same
  article to sci.cryonics probably would not.  Expect refinement in
  these plans as sci.cryonics evolves.

  FYI: USENET seems largely governed by the "stupid" theory.  Rational,
  well-written, and thoughtful posts generally produce no replies at
  all because they stand well on their own.  If an otherwise rational,
  well-written post has a small mistake in it, though, perhaps a small
  flame or a "stupid" remark, then dozens or more messages are likely
  to erupt over that small point.  For this reason, it may be useful
  to ignore any thread after it continues longer than just a few messages.
  Of course, my explanation of the "stupid" theory probably has several
  flaws in it, so I won't dare post it to USENET! - KQB ]

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