[LINK] Maintaining the link list

[Ivan Trundle]

Dear Linkers

(Serves me right to go AWOL just as a flood of messages hit Link)

I've tried to aggregate responses here, and offer comments from my perspective. But it's only my perspective. I'm on the last 5 minutes of a dial-up line, so cannot respond to any further comments for 24 hours when I hope to return to civilisation.

1. Aye to the three amigos. 
As a group, possibly as capable as Tony. Might need to grow beards, but I can be a curmudgeon as much as anyone. Apologies for using the word 'Board':  I meant 'Bulletin Board', of course (I am using dial-up tonight).

2. Policy: Why change what appears to encompass what we discuss adequately at present? But in any event, we often stray anyway. Would this change what we discuss? Is a review really needed?

3. Moving 'online': many appear to prefer what they are comfortable with. Why change what works? 
I'm a seasoned (after a glass of red) RSS/Twitter/Facebook/Online forum/IM/SMS/Phone/E-mail/LinkedIn/etc... user, and have strong preferences for communicating with the one which is appropriate for the style and content of the communication: Link is e-mail to me. Are people aware that Link has archives online?

4. More on Facebook/Twitter accounts: from direct experience, it's the wrong environment, and will most certainly fork comments between the e-list and the web. But perhaps this is another question in disguise: 'Do we need new recruits?'

5. Self-promotion: I've had a bit to say about this in the past, though I have seen worse elsewhere. Tony's light hand has resolved most issues.

6. Ad hominem attacks: inevitable when strong opinions emerge, but we are grown adults most of the time. Most look the other way unless blood is being drawn. List etiquette is moderately good here, compared with other places I travel.

7. Moderation: even less of a concern: in the strict sense, this is an unmoderated list: it's really one of the nice things about the list - no-one has to babysit.

8. Plain text: showing my age here, but plain text and no attachments makes Link what it is: and is a strength in my book.

Thanks Robin for your insights: when I get back home, I might try to add something myself.

Warmly

iT