READ THIS (long)

[geo3@earthlink.net]

Lawrence Weeks <dev@anabasis.net> wrote:

>The SE-R list has long been the central gathering place of
>knowledgeable people in the SE-R community. Nearly everything
>important that has happened in this community has originated or been
>discussed here. However, it appears that that is changing. Quality
>list traffic has fallen off quite a bit, and it appears that a lot
>of that traffic has migrated to web forums and some regional mailing
>lists. I have noticed more and more that answers to questions are a
>link to a discussion on a forum. Many longtime knowledgeable list
>members no longer interact on the mailing list, much, or at all,
>yet apparently do so on forums and other lists. There have been not
>insignificant SE-R community events lately which have been announced,
>planned, and took place, but never a whisper was heard on the mailing
>list. This is not a good situation.

Whew.  A lot of ground to cover.....

1) The changing face of he SR/QR community....

I think your assessment is spot on.  I've been silently morning this fact.
It seems in the last 5 years and the last 3 specifically that specialty
lists seem to have replaced the main list.  Some folks have become rather
parochial and now only interact on and read the local lists.  It seems
there is a specialty forum for just about everyone (I'm surprised there's
no "Blue Spec-V Forum" sometimes. :-/  First there was the SR20DE Forum.
Then there was the "Evil B15-Sentra Forum."  Then the G20 forum, and now
Nissan Forums dot com.  Perhaps this fracturing is due to the rapid growth
of the community.  Perhaps it's because I and others have pushed some of
the monkiness and repetativeness off the list.  Perhaps it's a communist
plot. ;-)  Whatever the reason it is indeed happening.

I find this situation terribly sad.  Most of us involved in the on-line
community met here on the mailing list first.  Most of my best friends have
come from this list and Kerry and I have good friends all over the country
as a result of this list.  I'm sure if we travel overseas will have have
friends in other countries as a result of this list as well.

In the last year or two I've lost a great deal of touch with a lot of
friends from this list, primarily because they no longer participate.  Many
of the incredibly knowledgable folks are no longer participating.  I won't
name anyone specifically because I don't want to point anyone out or to
slight anyone.  I know I've been less active, but then I have another car
I'm learning about and have been less active in the SR/QR on-line community
as a result.  But I know there are a lot of folks who are still active,
just in different places.  It's just sad to see the community fracture like
this, but time marches on and people do go their separate ways.  I guess as
Larry has said, folks need to decide if this is the way they want it.  I
know I don't.  This has long been the central focus of the SR/QR on-line
community and I think if it goes away the community will eventually suffere
for it.

>If you have any feedback on this, feel free to write to me. I'm going
>to make a decision on this fairly soon, and basically already have,
>but the nearly one thousand subscribers may have some opinions of
>their own.

Well I (as usual) have voiced my opinion.  I hope you keep this list around
Larry.  I understand how you feel, and I only hope that one day this will
again become the focus for the SR/QR community.  If the list shuts down it
will be a sad day for the community and for me personally.  I am involved
with 3 different SR/QR related forums, but I only visit very limited areas
on those are either racing or technical in nature.  This is where I go to
participate in general and platform related discussions (with the exception
of G20.net which is platform specific by default).

George Roffe
List memeber since January 1997