> Back to PICLIST things, I suppose this an example of the sort
> of spammage we can expect as a mailing list.  On the other hand,
> the overall S/N is pretty reasonable.

When the list moves to our new site, the S/N should get better (at least
WRT spammage, since we will have better control over who posts... and can
at least limit it to list subscribers).

> My main concern is that propagation would be slower if this were
> a newsgroup.  We would probably also get a lot more totally irrelevant
> junk (just opinion, since we'd be open to more cross-posting).

In addition to slower propagation, there is the archive access issue. I
currently arhcive a good portion of the piclist postings, and refer back to
them at times. A newsgroup would lack this convenience...

> Out of interest, how many people receive this list anyway?  If there
> are lots of  people here, then perhaps it would be better to use news.
> If the mailing-list server can cope with the load, I'd prefer to stick
> to the present format.  Would any of the present readership be unable
> to read this list as a newsgroup?

There are approximately 700 current subscribers to the piclist.
Some people have noted that the review command does not provide the
list of subscribers.. this is a priovacy feature to avoid advertisers
getting a handy distillation of a targeted market... and to generally
further the interests of privacy.

FWIW, it is currently difficult for me to read news, and has been for the
last several months (Although this should change soon).

> Finally, if this list is moved to news, where should it go?  (This
> may have some bearing on it's accessibility to other users.)

We would have to make a RFD (request for discussion) to create a newsgroup
in any of the main news hierarchies (the big 7?). Then after approximately
1 month of discussion in the group news.groups, we would make a CFV (call
for votes) and trhere would be an approximately 1 month lnog voting period.
Both the CFV and RFD are posted to news.announce.newgroups, as well as
crossposted to relevant other groups and email lists.

It is triviasl to simply create a group in, for example, the alt. hierarchy,
but these are not carried at many sites...

Personally, if the list concensus were to go for a newsgroup, I would
be willing to write and submit the RFD, etc... but I would eventually
vote against the newsgroup if it got to the CFV.

-jory