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[OM] Re: Monthly info message

Subject: [OM] Re: Monthly info message
From: "R. Lee Hawkins" <lhawkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 19:40:21 -0500
Cc: lhawkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 12:48:37 -0500
> From: "Rand E. Tomcala" <rtomcala@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [OM] Proposal: Monthly information message

> Lee (and the list),
>   The concept of what you are suggesting is great and much more
> importantly, very valid.
>   However, wouldn't a simple extra line in the footer with hypertext
> directing to the FAQ be a better idea?  It seems to me that the
> following reasons would apply:
>   1.  EVERY message would have the information automatically.

See below as to why this is a bad thing.

>   2.  One wouldn't have to wait for the month to roll around.

True, but if the message went to every subscribver when they subscribe,
then they'd have no excuse :)

>   3.  Probably simpler to program an extra line in the footer than a
> monthly       insertion.

In Linux (which is the os that runs the list, I think), a monthly
message is just a cron or at job.  You set it up once, and it runs
forever.  And it is pathetically easy to set up. :)

> IMHO,
> Rand E.


Rand:
Thanks for your comments, but...
There are two problems with this approach:

        1) People generally ignore things they see all the time.  A more
        "periodic" message (as opposed to constant) might be more likely
        to get results (I know this is counterintuitive, but is is never the
        less true.  When is the last time you actually paid attention to the
        footers that are on the messages now?  If you've been here from more
        than a month, I bet you never pay attention to them).

        2) While adding one line to each message doesn't seem like much, it
        is a *huge* addition in bandwidth compared to a once-a-month
        message.  Put simply, one line times every message on this list
        will always add up to more than one message a month.

Cheers,
--Lee
________________________________________________________________________
R. Lee Hawkins                           lhawkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Department of Astronomy                 
Whitin Observatory      http://www.astro.wellesley.edu/lhawkins/lee.html
Wellesley College                        Ph. 781-283-2708
Wellesley, MA 02481                      FAX 781-283-3667
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