[Rhodes22-list] Subject Line Change

[Bill Effros]

Slim,

This is another suggestion that has come up before for just the reasons you
mention.  Also, it greatly simplifies sorting through the email every day.

Can't help but notice that your subject line is "Archive"--I had trouble
finding it back after accidentally deleting it.  It is easier to send out a
single email with multiple topics contained therein, but harder on the
reader.  A lot of readers delete the email before getting to some great
topic closer to the bottom.

Multiple, short, to the point of the subject line, email is much easier to
sort through and read.

New people coming to the list will see the long, rambling, not to the
subject line email, assume that is our style, and add to the clutter.

The "New Guy" email should be separated from the first question which should
have its own subject line.  Multiple questions about the same topic--1
subject line.  Multiple questions about different topics--multiple subject
lines.  This works for the reader, works for those able to answer some
questions but not all, works for others who have the same questions, works
for the archive.

This is an important point that must be made from time to time to help
everyone on the list.  I have made it many times in the past, and I hope you
will now help me.  It is perfectly OK to crib the comments of others into a
"stock" reply sent out from time to time--like the charter.

People join the list all the time.  If the email is too long, they will skip
right over it.  This one is too long.  We should write and periodically post
a "Subject Line Change" email whenever the list becomes cluttered with
unchanged subject lines.

One more thing, even less likely to be adopted, -- think about the archive
index when changing the subject lines.  "Subject Line Change" will be much
easier to find in the index than my original subject "Changing the Subject
Line".  If you and I and others start changing subject lines so they index
more logically when we reply to the questions, our better subject lines will
be picked up by others responding.  I'm glad you brought this up.

Bill Effros


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Alm" <salm@mn.rr.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 4:30 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Archive


Hi all.

MJM mentioned that one of the features available to us here on the new list
is an archive.  I like this option because you can scroll around and look
for postings that you want to read.  Alex was just saying how there are a
lot of questions that pop up that have been answered before.  Rightfully, he
acknowledged the newcomer factor but he has a good point.  Being a
relatively newcomer myself, I'm sure I've asked questions that the rest of
you veterans are tired of answering.

However, in order to avoid falling into a black hole of time searching for
stuff in the archive, I would suggest the following:  diligently change the
subject line to describe the posting.  Often we reply to threads on and on
where the subject has changed to something else.  Recent examples: Rummy and
others just replied to my posting that had "Test" in the subject.  Rummy was
asking about my trailer jacks and Mary Lou was asking about the year of my
boat.  That's fine in the present but if someone were to search the archive
for, say trailer jacks, they wouldn't bother to open a posting called
"Test."

This raises another question for Michael.  Can you implement a search engine
for the archive?

I'm not complaining and I'm grateful for the new options  :-)

Slim

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