The question of whether or not british-cars should be a newsgroup seems
to come up about once a year. Past polls of the list have always
resulted in a resounding NO to this question, at least as long as I've
been on it. Maybe it's time to take another vote. Perhaps the majority
of the current membership feels differently about it now. My vote is
still no. I'd prefer a digest to a newsgroup. I would also prefer an
unmoderated list, but still prefer that to a newsgroup. But it seems to
me that a moderated list would be just as much, if not more work, to
administer than the current list.
My personal reason for not wanting a newsgroup is to eliminate the
extraneous postings and flaming so prevalent in the ones that do exist.
I strongly disagree that this is anywhere near the problem on this list
that it is in any of the auto newsgroups. I've seen more flaming in the
under 100 messages or so that have made it to the new rec.autos.antiques
newsgroup than I've seen on this list in six months. Yes there is some
mild Miata bashing and silly discussions about roll-up windows vs side
curtains, et cetera, but it's mostly good natured and usually has a Brit
car context as does most of the banter. It's the kind of talk that often
goes on between fellow car enthusiast. It's not at all the Chevys kick
Fords butts or Japanese cars are better than American cars kinds of
diatribes that dominate about half of the bandwidth in the rec.autos
newsgroups. I enjoy the banter but understand that it may be a pain to
others. If reducing or getting rid of all the nontechnical mailing is
what it takes, I wont like it as much but can live with it if it means
preserving the list and not going to a digest, or much worse, in my
opinion, a newsgroup.
Surely there is some way we can help Mark out on this.
Roland Dudley
cobra@hpcdcsn.cdc.hp.com
CSX2282
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