[CAUT] New Format--yuck

[David Love]

I'm reposting this using the email system because I'm not sure where it's
getting to in the new my.ptg... format, where it will be posted or who will
have access to it (part of the problem).  

So far this new format is a complete bomb for me.  The email system was much
simpler and sometimes simpler is better.  I could filter all PTG list
messages to a separate folder and easily go there and scan all messages in
one sweep and delete or whatever very quickly.  Now I have to log in
(completely impractical on my PDA) and jump around to discussions and then
open each discussion to see if there's something I want to read.  If a group
has been formed I have to jump into that group (or join it first??? not even
sure why one needs to join a group at this point since the postings are
visible to everyone).  As in this format I don't seem to be able to post to
multiple lists with one posting (as I'm trying to here to send this both to
CAUT and Pianotech lists).  This format requires way too much rooting around
to see if there's something of interest.  The organizational aspect of it is
fine in terms of searching a thread and such but turning it into a Facebook
type of thing just overcomplicates it.  I'm willing to be convinced
otherwise but so far so bad, at least for me.

Let me add something else that I didn't mention above in the original
posting.  The group formation thing seems like a good idea but I can see
where you may end up with some countless numbers of groups and all you've
really done is create a system that makes it that much more difficult for
people to figure out what dialogues are going on that they might be
interested in hearing and monitor those reasonably or what they might be
missing.  

I'm sure that the move to do this was well intended but in terms of my
participation, I can see this has just added enough unnecessary steps to
make it questionable as to whether it's worth the trouble.  It's certainly
less expedient and that may be enough to push me out of active
participation.  If that was the intention, to make it just that much more
difficult to try and remove some of the chatty garbage that tends to clog
the lists then I would say it's a success.  But if the idea is to encourage
participation by making it easier, then so far it's a failure.  

(plus I can't employ my auto spell checker in the new format--did I mention
that?)



David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com