When I mention the RPML to people in the industry,,,

From: <EdGrenda_at_aol.com>
Date: Fri Feb 06 2004 - 23:59:59 EET

When I mention the RPML to people in the industry, the feedback I frequently
get lately is negative. That's in spite of the fact that this list is a
primary source of information, and provides the only substantial public forum for
the industry and technology.

I find a number of people with important interests in RP don't join or have
dropped out because they simply don't want the hassle. Some companies won't
even post news releases because they don't want to be associated with what they
perceive as an unprofessional venue. When I mention that the list has worked
well for months, and they shouldn't be afraid to join or post, I've been
surprised at the level of "once burned, twice shy" response I get. Apparently, a
number people have now been turned off on a fairly permanent basis.

That's not good, because most of us, including the list owners, have
interests that are directly connected to the growth of the field. Those interests
would be best served by making the membership grow, fostering lively discussion
and news, and making membership hassle free.

Unmoderated is fine, but unmoderated shouldn't mean unregulated and ignored.
It's hard to complain about the wonderful free service we've been getting
from Hannu and Seppo for years, and for which I am grateful. But think about,
how much more useful, interesting - and better - the list would be with 17,000
members instead of a fairly constant 1,700. Think about what opportunities
that might provide for members - and the list owners.

I would ask Hannu and Seppo to consider the possibility that some of the
suggestions offered by people here could be very helpful in moving things in that
direction.

Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
EdGrenda@aol.com (email)

The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping
http://home.att.net/~castleisland/
Received on Fri Feb 06 23:38:16 2004

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