Re: [ARSCLIST] Barr's 7th Law...was:Registry of Digital Masters

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lewis" <davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> * if a post is made on ARSCLIST, then Barr will post to it with some kind
of
> response, even if it is drawn from that 99 per cent of the information
that
> is worthless, or is not relevant to the topic under discussion.
>
> This is not a flame, and I am not the moderator of the list. I'm just
> expressing my opinion that the ratio of noise to signal level from Steve
is
> favoring the noise of late. Please show some consideration, and exercise
> judgment, when posting to ARSCLIST. For myself, I avoid doing so unless I
> have something substantive to contribute to a given thread, or need to ask
a
> specific question.
>
The problem is this: you, like many members of many e-mail lists, are
assessing the value and usefulness of posted messages (which are read
by many individuals) in relation to only YOUR needs and desires!

The harsh reality (and this is particularly the case with ARSCLIST,
many of whose subscribers are professionals in completely different
areas related only by a connection with sound recordings!) is that
each message posted to the list is probably of interest and value
to no more than 10%...and in many cases less...of the list population
as a whole!

In fact, I was in a discussion with a handful of other ARSCLIST
"listeners" on a subject...the determination and selection of
what information should be archived...of particular interest to
the group...but probably not that of the list as a whole! In fact,
if it was necessary that each post be of interest and value to
the entire subscribership, the list traffic would probably drop
to five or six messages anually.

I subscribe to both ARSCLIST and 78-L...and in both cases receive
any number of lengthy posts concerning fine points of recorded
classical-music performances (an area in which I have NO knowledge
and only slightly more interest). However, I don't tell the parties
involved that they really ought to start their own lists or at least
quit making posts not of interest to everybody!

Steven C. Barr