Ok so people are suggesting alternatives and here's mine. Why can't the PICLIST evolve into a proper newsgroup? What am I missing here? The admins are pissed off with the workload, we are at the mercy of a server we have no control over, the list gets more traffic than comp.arch.embedded, posters do so at there own whim, people often post stuff that is off topic (sometimes way off). Why not move the list to a system that was designed to do exactly what the PICLIST is trying to do. Ok archive all the posts somewhere (piclist.com ?) and provide a web interface for people that can't receive newsgroup services. Regards Sergio Masci ----- Original Message ----- From: James Newton, webhost To: Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 6:21 PM Subject: [OT:] PICList in danger. Calling all members. > Here are the points: > > 1. We have to convert to the new list server software at MIT: Mailman. > http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/mailman-users/2003-April/000002.html The > transition > might be easy, or it might be a total pain the in ass. We don't know. > > 2. The existing admins are all some combination of burnt out, pissed off, > busy and or trying to have a life. Trust me, its a REALLY thankless job. Not > without rewards, but as Dale says, you need to have a lot of Karma to work > off. > > - I don't do people well, so I really can't be policing the list or helping > newbies. Ask Chad. I also have enough to do with the site and moving the > archive to the new list feed. > > - Josh is buried in error messages (which the new list server is said to > reduce) and as a student I doubt he can always find time to devote to it. > > - Dale is burnt out and has a life. He is still married and has a job. Lets > not drag him down with the rest of us. > > - Herb also has a life and spends more than enough time with error messages > and helping newbies out. > > - Jory is ready for it to just go away. He has continued to find "sponsors" > for us at MIT, but that must be getting old by now. > > Which brings us to: > > We need one or two people from the list membership to devote an hour or so a > day (every damn day, day after day...) to helping with the list for a good > long time so that one of the existing admins will be freed up to do the move > > AND/OR > > one or two people (hopefully with experience on mailman list server) to help > us transfer to that new software and teach the "old" admins what we need to > know to keep it running > > AND/OR > > a very, very stable benefactor who is able to host a mailing list that > generates between 1 to 4 GB (that is Giga Bytes) of traffic daily (as in > every day). MIT is STABLE enough to handle the 200 emails times 10KB average > size times 2000 members plus another 100 error messages,etc... times 4 > admins, etc... it adds up. AND it goes on year after year. Did I mention > stable? As in no, I don't think we want to host it on your killer Linux box > via the screaming DSL connection that your Mom pays for, thanks anyway. > > ... hummm I think I'm transferring Karma much too fast... > > Think hard before you speak up. Remember that you will have to work with me. > > > --- > James Newton, webhost piclist.com (former Admin #3) > jamesnewton@piclist.com 1-619-652-0593 fax:1-208-279-8767 > PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com or .org > > -----Original Message----- > From: James Newton, webhost [mailto:jamesnewton@piclist.com] > Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 10:01 AM > To: jory@oqo.com; James Newton, webhost; Dale Botkin; Herbert Graf; Josh > Koffman > Subject: RE: How can I join? > Importance: Low > > > I think it would be wise to ask the membership if any of them wish to step > up and help before we just shut it down. > > I do think I need to stay out of adminning the list (at least as far as > helping new members)... I'm burned out and when ever I see that the admin > job isn't getting done and I step back in and try to help out, I seem to > flame up again. I've never been good with people anyway. > > I will focus on the archive and the site. > > Somebody else needs to take care of the error messages, newbies and > policing. It ain't Dale, and doesn't seem to be Herb or Josh, so we need new > admins. Time to ask for help. > > And we have the job of doing the transfer to mailman. It has to be someone > new. Time to ask for help. > > Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going to forward this to the list. > > --- > James Newton, webhost piclist.com (former Admin #3) > jamesnewton@piclist.com 1-619-652-0593 fax:1-208-279-8767 > PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com or .org > > -----Original Message----- > From: jory@oqo.com [mailto:jory@oqo.com] > Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 7:53 PM > To: James Newton, webhost; Dale Botkin; Herbert Graf; Josh Koffman > Subject: RE: How can I join? > Importance: Low > > > hmmm. > > is there an earlier message (from mit) about the mailman changeover? i must > have missed it. > > all drama aside, maybe we should consider shutting down the list? > > how are people feeling about admin stuff, etc? > > i will continue to have essentially 0 time going forward, but can retain my > current level of sponsorship if there is a feeling in that direction. > > ::jory > > > At 11:03 AM 7/23/2003, James Newton, webhost wrote: > >I had asked for someone to step up to the plate some time ago, but I > haven't > >had any bites. > > > >Its a BIG responsibility and may be as easy as sending an email asking for > >the change over, or as hard as manually rebuilding the entire membership > >list by hand.... no screw that, just add the top posters and the rest can > >subscribe on their own. Probably some explanation of differences for the > >list members will be needed. How the topics are specified, etc... > > > >I will take the time to change the archive over to the new list server. > >Right now, the archive looks for specific header items placed by MITVMA to > >make sure the messages are recorded in the actual order they were received, > >etc... Since those will no longer be there, I will have to do some work on > >the archive mailbot. And that is more than I can really afford as it is. My > >wife starts a fight with me every time she sees "PICList" on the screen. > > > > > >If not I or Jory, we are left with: > >- Dale? Who burnt out on error messages > >- Herb? Who has a life > >- Josh? Who is in school? > > > >Or we have to ask for help from the members. > > > >--- > >James Newton, webhost piclist.com (former Admin #3) > >jamesnewton@piclist.com 1-619-652-0593 fax:1-208-279-8767 > >PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com or .org > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: jory@oqo.com [mailto:jory@oqo.com] > >Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 10:36 AM > >To: PICLIST-request@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > >Subject: Re: How can I join? > > > > > >does anyone know anything about a proposed move to mailman at mit? > > > >i haven't seen anything on it, but i am pretty slammed here at work. > > > >::jory > > > > >Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 12:06:25 EDT > > >From: Art Anger > > >Subject: Re: Re: SUBJECT: RE: PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ME (fwd) > > >To: List maintainer > > >cc: Colleagues , shifty_1@charter.net > > >X-Mailer: MailBook 2002.01.493 > > >Message-Id: <030721.121024.EDT.Anger@mitvma.mit.edu> > > >MIME-Version: 1.0 > > >Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > > >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT > > > > > >Jory-- > > > > > >[snip] > > > > > >How soon would you care to have PicList moved to our Mailman service, > > >which offers fewer obstacles to users? > > >--Art Anger, Postmaster > > -- > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body