[NEohioPAL]Using the Yahoo Groups NEOPal Bulletin Board.... And reasons for it's use...

[Christopher]

I think there is a tendency to take technical competency for granted when it comes to postings concerning the move to bulletin boards for
discussions or topics that may be interpreted as not being audition related, from what I've read on the postings on the main NEOPAL list and the
yahoo bulletin board.  For many of us, checking the bulletin board is not far removed, and in many ways simpler than checking email.  I am in no
way implying that Richard, or any proponents of the bulletin board are trying to disenfranchise those with less computer literacy.

However, as someone who is on the front lines of the NEOPAL recipient list, I can attest to the fact that many (close to a third) of the people
who respond to my postings are at best semi literate when it comes to computer usage, and many check their email at a library where simple tasks
like subscribing to a discussion group are very difficult because some library computers will not accept cookies.  These issues combined with
problematic ISPs (like AOL) make even the simplest tasks like checking email turn into a need for technical support.  For some, as soon as
Richard mentioned Microsoft Outlook, I can only imagine the number of very intelligent, computer illiterate subscribers who scratched their heads
and said to themselves, "do I use Outlook??"

I think enough people can intuit "flame wars" in the subject headers to delete them if they predict the information won't benefit them.  A
surprising number of families who responded to my call for child actresses have inquired about reputable agencies and classes for their children
as a result of the debates stemming from those discussions.  I can only imagine the number of families who wouldn't have second guessed the
expenditure of their hard earned money toward classes or representation that may have only led them down the road to disappointment or worse, had
they not seen it in the main list, as many of these same parents find it difficult enough to check their email.

I am respectfully disobeying Richard's request to reply to him directly, because I believe that a significant number of subscribers are missing
the debate happening on the yahoo group regarding this subject, and I want to make sure that those people are informed:  if Fred doesn't hear
from the people who see themselves in the group that I describe above, then the information that you get from the open discussions as they have
taken form up to now, will go to the bulletin board, which may be inaccessible to many readers on this list for either technical or learning
curve reasons.  Many subscribing to this list are doing what they can to juggle their childrens' budding performance careers with the rest of
their lives.  I would hate to see them miss out on information that was one time accessible and easily deletable if it didn't pertain.

I think it's too easy to assume that if a person can't get to the yahoo bulletin board, that they likely don't have the requisite skills to even
subscribe to NEOPAL.  I'm writing to let you know that I've met in recent weeks a significant demographic who fall right in the middle, and risk
being left behind if only the basest information gets posted to the primary list.  If only 5% of Fred's readers fell into this category,
considering the subscriber list is past 3000, that would be 150 people this would pertain to.  I met about 30 of them with my little niche
posting, which makes me think that pertinent number is closer to 300 or a bit more.

I think many will take whatever changes are made as they come because they take NEOPAL as it is for granted.  From my professional travels around
the U.S. and abroad, I can tell you there is nothing quite like NEOPAL where subscribers not only get the basic community postings, but the low
down on what happens, who you can trust and why.

For those who feel the way I do on this subject, I'm taking the liberty of suggesting you make your voice heard by sending your comments to the
list at neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com.  I support whatever Fred decides to do, as it is his list to let grow and change as he sees fit.  But
as his largess with Northeast Ohio's arts community has so consistently manifested itself with the growth of this list, I feel he would want to
know if a significant number of you would feel like you're losing a little bit of the list's functionality with any topics moving to a
potentially inaccessible bulletin board.

Thanks Fred and readers for making even what I wrote above a possibility.

Christopher K. Young
www.shallowfocus.com



"Richard B. Ingraham" wrote:

> At Fred's request, I'm posting to the main list to attempt to help other
> list members with the use of the experimental NEOPal Bulletin Board.
>
> First, for those of you that have not joined the Yahoo Group NEOPal
> Bulletin Board, I think it's worth pointing out a few things about the
> use of the Yahoo Group.
>
> (I know the folks that are on the Yahoo Group, have already read all
> this, and are probably sick of hearing from me....so I apologize in
> advance....and please bear with me here....)
>
> 1.  Some folks have voiced concerns about "missing" something, if there
> are two lists.  I personally don't think this will be the case.  For
> those folks who simply want to only get audition notices, and
> announcements about events and other activities (probably stuff for sale
> as well?), you would only sign up for the main NEOPal list.  Once a
> "discussion" has been moved by Fred off the main list, to our bulletin
> board, the folks that are only subscribed to the main list, would no
> longer get any Inbox clogging emails, about something they might not
> care about.  For those that want to join in on discussions, you would
> simple subscribe to both lists, and then you would get every post, just
> as if it was all on a single NEOPal list.
>
> For example, I use Microsoft Outlook.  I have an Email Rule set-up so
> that all the NEOPal email (from the main email list) goes to it's own
> folder.  This way it keeps it all out of my Inbox, but I don't have to
> get the silly digest version.  This allows me to save any emails I may
> want to save for some reason or another.  Others I may read and then
> delete, while some (for me it's the audition notices..I'm not an
> Actor...so I don't need those) I never even read, they are deleted right
> away.
>
> So all I did when I joined the Yahoo Group list, is to simply.. Join the
> group, then assign another new email rule that takes all the email from
> this bulletin board list, and then puts it in the same folder with all
> the other NEOPal email.  This way all the NEOPal email is in the same
> place.
>
> Almost all email reading software I've played with, has similar
> functions.  Or course they can't make it simple and all use the same
> "name" for these same functions, but they all should have some type of
> "Rules" wizard or the like.  (I know some call them filters....)
>
> I guess if you like to read all email on line, rather than downloading
> it to a local machine, then it could be a pain.  But I would guess that
> most of the folks who are currently subscribed to the main NEOPal list,
> do not go to the list's web page, and read the email there.  Most
> probably have the list delivered to their email Inbox (either as
> individual messages or as a digest), and the new list is no different.
>
> 2.  I know that some folks may object to the ads that Yahoo places
> within their Yahoo Groups web pages.  A house keeping suggestion....
> I'm on several Yahoo Groups, if you don't want to read the stupid Yahoo
> ads, then please don't read your email on line.  Have the Yahoo Group
> sent to your normal email Inbox, and it will show up, just like the
> regular NEOPal list does.  Also, when you sign up there is an option
> called "Convert All Posts to HTML"  Or something like that.  TURN THIS
> OFF!  By turning that off, you'll get almost no ads in your Inbox from a
> Yahoo group.
>
> 3.  Lastly I would just like to point out a few of the reasons why I
> think this is a good idea.
>
> At the moment, our main NEOPal Email list is set up in a fashion where
> each and every post is personally "looked at" and approved by Fred
> personally.  The list as it stands is not really set up as a forum for
> open discussions.  For example, when you hit the reply key to an email
> from the list, it is automatically sent back to the individual who set
> it, not back to the entire list.  So in a way, the main NEOPal list
> itself is more of a bulletin board, than a discussion forum.  With our
> new Yahoo Group, we would be able to have an open discussion forum,
> where Fred (although I'm sure he would keep a close eye on it) would not
> be required to approve each and every post.  This could lead to a much
> more free flow discussion of topics.  This is how every other email list
> that I participate in works.
>
> Obviously this new list (if it continues) will go through some "growing"
> pains.  I'm sure it will take some time, for us to kind of "figure out"
> the best way to use it.   For example, how soon should a topic be moved
> from the primary list?, making sure that only open discussion topics are
> posted to the new list... Audition notices should only go to the main
> list...etc....   There will probably be plenty of questions, and debates
> about it's use.  But I frankly welcome that debate, and have for some
> time wished that there was a place where the NEOPal community could have
> a more open and free flow discussion.  Several times in the past few
> years have proved that there are many topics that could be openly
> discussed by the NEO Arts Community.  (everything from building
> convention centers, to debates on how film audition notices should be
> worded, to professional behavior, etc...)  Although I would hope that
> our new list would not lead to any "flame wars", which is email list
> slang, for personal attacks.  But I would suspect that Fred would put a
> stop to that rather quickly.
>
> Clearly I'm biased for having a second list.  I should make it clear
> however that my comments are not meant to take away from what we already
> have, and that I do appreciate the list Fred has given us.
>
> I hope this helps clear up any confusion.  Please feel free to contact
> me off list, if you have questions about setting up email rules or the
> like.
>
> Richard B. Ingraham
> Free-lance Sound Design/Engineer/Technician
> RBI Computers & Audio
> email at: rbi at rbicompaudio.20m.com
> http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com
>
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