From: mdbruce@leland.Stanford.EDU (Michael David Bruce)
Subject: Re: this sub
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 05:47:27 GMT

In article <1binncINN90c@agate.berkeley.edu> shell@gandalf.Berkeley.EDU (Shelly Culbertson) writes:
>In article <1992Oct14.214124.8190@news.columbia.edu> tl24@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Tami  Luhby) writes:
>>
>>I gotta tell ya.  I've been reading this group for about a month and I think 
>>there is too much talk about tapes and bootlegs and not enough about PHISH.
>>Just a few thoughts.

>It is noticeable that our newsgroup/digest has grown significantly and
>is no longer the close-knit community of friends that it was in the beginning.
[...]
>I think that growth is great, and I love the idea of sharing this experience
>with more new folks from all over the world!  But as we grow, I guess we
>might need to put a little more effort into maintaining the community spirit..
>
>Another big consideration at this point is that there have been extremely
>few *Phish* shows in this country since last May.  The opening sets for
>Santana were fun, sure, but the setting / timing just weren't conducive to
>getting really transported out of prevailing reality for very long.  
>
>maybe some folks would like to share their
>Phish stories (first time you saw or heard the band) - I always enjoy 
>reading those....and in any case, I'm sure things will pick up when the
>tour starts :-).  So let's arrange some net.gatherings!  :-)

A couple of comments:

First, the fact that there have been very few shows is absolutely key. 
Without the shows, there is little to add to the posts, other than what
we have been groping for for the last month or so.

Second, the break in continuity between May and Sept really thrashes 
things up a bit.  I know that I for one have not been the posting monger
that I was when I was at williams.  In part, I have little to add to 
what's been going on in the discussions:  I don't know much about taping
or DATs or mics.  Nor do think that I am likely to become involved in
the near future, so I blip over the posts.  

Third, another key factor is that not much is going on with the net 
these days.  I mean, think about last year.  My brother joined at digest
10.  I joined at digest 50 in October (?) sometime.  Then we applied for
a USENET charter in January.  Then we got one.  It was all very exciting.
Plus, phish had been touring.  It was our heyday.

But what's happening these days?  Well, to be frank, not a whole lot.
The band isn't touring.  We're not trying to get all holy usenet status.
We're relegated to talking about the same subjects over and over.  
In some ways, I regret the streamlining of the digests to USENET;
we definitely lost some character.

You don't see anyone posting stuff like the history of 'ness (the history
of what?), or great stories of road trips both of the band and not about
the band, or neat things like the list of everyone on the net+info, and 
you don't see interviews or show reviews.

My solution?  Here we go:

Repost not the FAQ, but the stories phile, in sections, every once in a
while.

Repost the interview file in the same matter.  These two files make up
not the mindnumbing statistics of the FAQ and the HPB (not that these
aren't useful in other ways), but the *essence* (a strange 'ness word!)
of this group.

I encourage everyone to post phishy stories and reviews of shows that 
happened a long long time ago.  Give us a feel for phish over *time*.
Show us the dynamics of the group and the fans and the interaction.
Make the time *live* and flow.

I encourage people to make up quizzes and such.  Can't wait to see if
I really know anything about the band!

Net gatherings are key.  Set em up.  Participate.  And not necessarily
just taping sessions, but get togethers at houses, dorms, bars, cafes
coffeehouses or wherever.  The trick is that we are not just *@*.*.*
but PEOPLE.  We need to remind ourselves of that, I think.

Anything else?  Yeah...go bananas and enjoy life and tell us all about
it.  That's what the character of the group is, IMHO.





-- 
--Mikey				"'But anything we can do is so _trivial_.'
mdbruce@leland.stanford.edu	And I would say, 'Not trivial, just small.  The
Hayduke lives!			way all life begins."  --Wayland Drew.