From: <KONDARED@PURCCVM.BITNET>
Subject: Re:...Why a New Group Is Needed?
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 06:21:16 GMT

>In article <.........> seeta@eng.wayne.edu writes:
>>
>>.................................. I have something new
>>which incidentally can be used as ``pro-new-newsgroups''...
>>My experience with the mailing list for telugu speaking people ...
>>..... was real bad.  So will others who have used it.  A conversation
>>or dialogue is next to impossible.  Lastly, the mail arrives only when
>>the moderator feels sufficent accumulation has occured...

>>So..........................
>>
>>Seetamraju Udaya Bhaskar Sarma
>>

Well it depends on the format-Digest or a simple Forum- used for the
mailing list.A non-Digest format facilitates speed and immediacy and will
allow a conversation or dialog. But there is tradeoff involved in the
selection of a format. If you are on an active non-digest mailing list
you can get more than 50-60 pieces of mail!! Much more during special
occassions like the demolition of an unused mosque. Also since it is easy to
send quick, emotional responses for which there will be equally quick,
equally emotional replies there are greater chance of a silly flame wars.
It is also possible for important mail, such as an urgent note from your
advisor, to get buried in an avalanche of your Forum mail.

In article <......>, narayana@oracorp.com (K. T.Narayana), the editor says:

>A clarification! ...................................................
>The membership of our Telugu list is a very intelligent and extremely
>accomadating group of individuals. They exercise moderation on their
>own basis. I have not come across a single occasion in which I had to
>intervene as an editor. That is simply a tribute to our membership.
>By insisting on members selfmoderation, we have been able to achieve
>a lot in the form of discourse! Sometimes it does help, if one can
>write a response immediately. Usenet allows that. But a delay in writing
>permits a seasoned thinking, and more importantly allows the exchange
>of thoughtful ideas than emotional responses. Digests are simply
>useful was of serious exchange of views when the membership regards
>that as an study forum for understanding.
>
>Usenet groups are being used for propaganda and disinformation
>purposes and not as study fora. That is the fundamental problem
>with forming a news group. By having a list, one avoids that
>possibility. ......
>...kt
>
  I agree completely with your contention that the digest format's lack
  of speed and immediacy cools off emotions, permits a certain amount of
  thinking and contains emotional responses. But i think, more than the
  intelligence, spirit of accomodation and self moderation of your list
  members it is the nature of the mailing list itself (as opposed to a
  usenet newsgroup) and the digest format you are using that is
  keeping your list all etiquette and accomodation.

  There are significant differences between a usenet newsgroup and a
  mailing list, which makes comparisons of their members manners difficult.
  Since a list members contribution goes to individual mailboxes and not to
  a public storage space like a Usenet post, members are more moderate. Mail
  to a mailing list goes to a users personal mailbox and users always read
  their mail, on a day to day basis, while a usenet post is stored in public
  location and users usually read news on a peridic basis, skipping it altog-
  ether during especially time constrined periods. In other words mail is
  a mission critical tool for users while usenet news is not.

  In usenet newsgroups, bystanders of all types of flame wars may be amused,
  irritated or angry but their aggravation threshlod is very high, where as
  bystanders in a maillist flame war do not take lightly to trivial flames,
  ad-hominem attacks and use of abusive language in flames. The aggravation
  threshold of a maillist bystander is very low and he is always on the ready
  to send a disciplining personal mail to an offender.

  These differences between a usenet newsgroup and a mailing list make
  users very careful while mailing contributions to a mailing list. A
  useful anology: contributing to a mailing list is like expressing
  opinions in someones' home while partaking of his hospitality whereas
  expressing opinions on an usenet newsgroup is like expressing opinions
  in a public arena.

  SCI is not the only usenet newsgroup. There are several hundreds which
  are very good "study fora". I read a few dozen (comp.dcom.isdn, c.d.telecom,
  c.d.eff.org., s.c.soviet, s.c.afghan.., s.c.bosnia-herg... etc) in addition
  to sci and i'am definitely learning something from them. Ofcourse the quick-
  ness of response they facilitate, meams that many of the posts are sponta-
  nious, emotional outbursts with little message content. I consider it my
  responsibility to figure out the nature of a post from its subject line,
  size of the post (larger the post lesser the chances of it being an
  emotional response), and the poster's login and read only what i think
  will benefit me intellectually or emotionally. BTW even if i'am misled
  by the post header it is not too difficult to press n or q (while using rn),
  or F3 (while using netnews)

>PS: In only one or two occasions, I edited the text of some notes
>of member(s) so that it conveys the essense of his(their) thoughts
>and at the same time is more pleasant. So sweet are our Telugu list
>members ......................

  Hmmm. Intersting. A popular poll (by somebody@somewhere) and an
  'independant study' (by Anindya Basu@Cornell) found that the most
  offensive posts on SCI were coming from Telugus. Either your list is
  attracting only Telugus of the Sweeter Kind while the bitterer/hotter
  ones are gravitating towards the usenet SCI, or the same set of Telugus
  are being "sweet" on a mailing list (which uses a digest format) and
  are not so sweet on the SCI.          ;-)

                                    Cheers,
                                     Sashi

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