[SGVLUG] archives??? since when?

[Dustin]

On Thu, 8 Sep 2005, Hershel Remer wrote:

> Our friend Dustin replies:
> 
> > I know that one of the most useful tools I have when I join a mailing list
> > is to search the archives
> 
> BINGO!!
> 
> "join a mailing list" -- First you join the list, and then you have the
> permission to look at the archives.

Nonsense, I meant nothing of the kind, though I fear I didn't write very
clearly--I usually do this before I actually sign up, because if my
searches can't find anything worth reading then the mailing list isn't
worth the trouble.  Sometimes if I have to sign up first to see the
archives, I just don't bother.  If anyone else uses lists the way I do,
then making the archives we make from this point on private could lose us
some members: I typically only find LUG mailing lists by searching for 
some technical information that turns up some mailing list hits (the 
Debian lists are quite excellent for this, judging by how often they turn 
up).  I hope we might get a few members by having people stumble on our 
lists looking for help and then noticing that we're local.

I agree that there is a problem with not fulfilling the reasonable
expectations of past posters--but do not make the mistake of thinking that
I actually see any need for such secrecy in the future.  The only problem
I see is in the possibility that someone else may have had reason to
expect it in the past.

Now if we have members that express a preference for *future* posts to be
private, well, the LUG should do what serves the members best.  It doesn't 
serve me any better to keep them private, but then again as I'm already a 
member I'm not going to argue loudly if we have people who seriously 
prefer it otherwise.

Dustin