So far, David, I'm with you.  It's much easier to go down my list of e-mails and read or delete as I see fit without having to go to a whole other site.  Of course, I'm not used to the site, but it's extra steps for me. Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td>From: <td>"David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> <tr valign=top> <td>To: <td><pianotech@ptg.org>, <caut@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td>Date: <td>03/07/2011 09:32 AM <tr valign=top> <td>Subject: <td>[CAUT] New Format--yuck</table> <hr noshade> <tt>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 </tt><a href=www.davidlovepianos.com><tt>www.davidlovepianos.com</tt></a><tt> </tt>