From: car377@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (charles.a.rogers)
Subject: Re: We are sick and tired!!
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 03:49:10 GMT
Summary: Short attention span strikes again

In article <1992Sep30.210539.13064@netcom.com>, agent86@netcom.com (Michael McBride) writes:
> In article <1992Sep30.173602.25206@brtph560.bnr.ca> scatlin@bnr.ca (Scot Catlin) writes:
> 	...
> >... he said he had already looked through it [rec.moto], and decided
> >that there is just too much CRAP to sort through to make it worth his
> >while.  

This is a FEATURE, not a BUG.  It is used to sort out weenies with short
attention spans, arrested development cases, and those who think that they
are the center of the universe and the rest of us exist only to respond
to their needs.  It isn't 100% effective, but it works well enough to
keep the This-Group-Isn't-What-*I*-Want-It-To-Be-So-Change-It-Right-Now
sort of drivel down to a few a month.  Ask your buddy if he reads all the
text in all the articles and advertisements in every motorcycle magazine he 
picks up, as well as the page numbers, bingo cards, the publisher's legal
disclaimer, and the editorial staff listing.  If he says "no", tell him
to try the same filtering techniques here that he employs to avoid reading
all that stuff in the magazines.  If he says "yes", send him over to 
alt.bizarre.  He'll fit right in.

> >        I sure hate to see a news group with such a worthy topic go
> >down the tubes like it seems to be.

That's easily remedied: don't watch.  Better yet, take a ride down the
tubes yourself.  Might be a pretty good party goin' on down there.

> 	AMEN!... My Kill File is getting ridiculous.  I think it is great
> 	that you DoD gals/guys have a group with which to have fun,
> 	however, I think that rec.motorcycles is suffering as a result
> 	of all the "cutesy" posts.

I think it is great that you get to say what's on your mind in rec.moto, but 
I also think rec.motorcycles is suffering and has suffered as a result of all 
these "whiner" posts.  No matter, keep 'em coming.  My "n" key works just fine.

> 	These posts would be better placed in
> 		rec.motorcycles.yuk.yuk.yuk

And your notions concerning how rec.motorcycles ought to be sanitized would 
be better posted in alt.censor.wannabe, IMNSHO. 

> 	I wish I could say I haven't been disappointed so far...

Gosh, what a catastrophe.  Imagine how grief-stricken the rest of us are
at this devastating news.  I'm weeping all over my keyboard.

> 	I only wonder how many riders have abandoned this newsgroup because
> 	of the 'fluff'.  |-(

Not enough for your taste, apparently.  A lot more would have to abandon it
to get the CRAP down to your comfort level.  

BTW, creating subgroups in an attempt to control the CRAP doesn't appear
to be a viable strategy for rec.moto.  The CRAP increases monotonically
anyway.  I know this sounds far-fetched, but maybe, just maybe a *lot*
of riders *like* the CRAP.  That would explain much, wouldn't it?

Helpful hint #1:  The most successful strategy by far for creating a
forum optimized to satisfy the desires and needs of a *single* rider
is the mailing list mechanism.  This particular technique has been
successfully carried out at least twice in the last two years by two
riders whose "disappointment" was voiced in exactly the way you voice 
yours.  They successfully created their own little empires and now get
to hear only what they want to hear from those they consider deserving
of their attention.  Perhaps you'd be happier there.

Helpful hint #2: Get a sense of humor and learn to think for yourself.
The application of these two attributes far transcends their utility in
rec.motorcycles.  Hell, you might even develop a taste for CRAP.

Helpful hint #3: If you want a question answered, be creative when you
post it, and try to make reading it an interesting experience.  A bigger
audience increases the likelihood that someone will have the answer.  An
innovative approach increases the likelihood that that someone will be 
motivated to respond.  This may come as a shock, but after the 100th
iteration of "Carburetor float bowls overflow because the float valves
are stuck open," that particular sentence begins to take on a flavor
somewhat short of intellectually stimulating for most of us.

Helpful hint #4: If you don't see a response to a question posted in the
group, it is *likely* that some (maybe all) riders answering it used e-mail 
to save bandwidth.    A lot of us do this routinely.

Helpful hint #5: Don't be surprised if rec.moto folk *don't know* the
answer to *all* the questions.  Wouldn't it be great if your next
question inspired 20,000 postings all saying, "Gee, I'd like to help
you, but I just don't have a clue about how to answer"?

Helpful hint #6:  It is my experience that most of those riders who
*do* have the answers to almost all the questions are also the ones
responsible for what you refer to as the CRAP (my personal descriptor
is 'ambrosia').  Calling their carefully-crafted parody and satire
(or mindless ramblings, take your pick) CRAP may not be the best
tactic to endear yourself to them so they'll be inclined to help you
should you need their assistance at a later time.

Chuck Rogers
car377@druhi.att.com