Shelly Hurd wrote:
List Members,

I'm not a member, but may I, being the culprit of this whole ... issue, also add
some thoughts? So, unless I'm not already banned, here it goes:

I don't understand the need for the IBC mailing list to be attached to r.a.b..
Mailing lists should be closed, period. Closed in a sense that at least a
(possibly free) registration is required.

Usenet, on the other hand, is open. If you make a hybrid, you should at least
make it moderated on the open end: messages posted on RAB should be approved by
a moderator before allowed into the mailing list.

That being said, may I ask you why the mailing list is at all necessary? I mean,
reading and posting to Usenet is almost identical to e-mail, archiving is taken
care of by Google. For free, may I add. With unlimited searching capabilities,
too. Which is more than a bargain, if you ask me.

---------

IBC has (at least) three means of communication:
1. Web-based forum (or, as it's called on IBC, interactive galleries).
2. Mailing list (e-mail).
3. Usenet (rec.arts.bonsai and alt.bonsai).

The first two are struggling with archiving problems, the third isn't. Now, if
you ask me, the web-based forum is more than enough. Having two means of
communication (web + mailing list) makes it more complicated, right? No? OK, if
not, then I don't see the problem of setting up one more account in ones mail
client to also handle a Usenet newsgroup. Which takes care of the detachment
problem: members of the mailing list wouldn't miss anything by being detached.
They should monitor the r.a.b. independently of the mailing list. Problem solved.

And another thing: just as you don't like r.a.b. "intruders" (me), I don't like
being lectured on Usenet (by a IBC mailing list moderator(s)) what I can and
can't do on the mailing list. Let me stress this: I have absolutely nothing to
do with the mailing list. That's entirely _your_ problem.