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[Bill Spurlock, RPT]

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

From: Bill Spurlock, RPT, 74077,3053
TO:   INTERNET:ronberry@iquest.net, INTERNET:ronberry@iquest.net
DATE: 1/4/95 8:50 PM

RE:   Copy of: This list

I agree with others that free access to this forum by non-technicians would
really take the discussion off track.

Along those same lines, I've wondered if it would help to establish some sort of
protocol for subscribers -- sort of a statement of purpose for the forum -- to
encourage messages that are most likely to be of general interest. At the risk
of sounding snobbish, I find some messages to be the electronic equivalent of
"junk mail"; for example, personal messages between two parties that are copied
to the entire list, or series' of messages containing nothing but clever
one-liners.

Unlike paper junk mail, it is impossible to know the contents of E-mail without
downloading it. It gets annoying to pay connect time charges and file download
fees, not to mention spending time opening, reading, and deleting messages, only
to find many of them are just chatty exchanges.

I'm not suggesting that messages have to be dry and humorless, but for my money
when I download the day's messages, it would be nice to know they were going to
be as pertinent and useful as the Tips or Q&A sections of the Journal. I've
heard the same sentiments from a couple of others. Thoughts, anyone?

Bill Spurlock