Message-ID: <000801c09ca5$6cf97ac0$2428fc3e@p.cleal>
From: "Peter Cleall" <peter.cleall@virgin.net>
To: "rsgb_lf_group" <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
Subject: LF: Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 07:58:59 -0000
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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 07:59:42 +0000

>>How about in the short term we agree to put an unambiguous marker
>>in the subject line for the high tech postings (ie [TECH]) and then
>>subscribers who do not want to see the postings can filter them straight
>>to the bit bucket.

>>Stewart G3YSX

I am in no way convinced that we can discipline ourselves to correctly
categorise our messages. We need one reflector with a policy of restricting
ourselves to one topic per message.

Most of us, will often, cover more than one topic in an e-mail. Even the
heavy
QRM from Scarborough or the output of the high tech guru of Portsdown Hill,
will sometimes, amongst the detail, have provided some gems of information
of value to many other people who are at different stages on their LF
learning curves.

If we wish to report activity, discuss our latest antenna measurements, sort
out a problem on QRSS software, report propagation conditions or consider
various GPS stability and timing issues then we should send 5 separate
messages with suitable subject lines.

We need to be more selective on the use of to whom we send our messages and
how we reply to incoming one's. Before we send each e-mail we should be
asking "Should it go to an individual or should it be general to the
reflector". If it may be helpful to others it should go on the reflector.
Then we should ask "is it clear from the subject line that this is an
existing thread or a new subject"
then we should ask "Is there any part of the e-mail that is aimed at a
different aspect which
should be sent separately".


First hand experience of being a member, simultaneously, of a number of
closely related lists, in a totally different field from Radio, is that
cross posting
is a major problem, different posting times to each list leads to fear of
missing things which leads to checking everything.

All my lists have a similar
mix, technophiles, technophobes, raw beginners, experts, silent majorities
and noise generators. We do not have a unique problem.

I think the solution lies in receiving all LF e-mails from the one source,
as we currently do
and learning how to manage our e-mail better.

I use two techniques

I transfer mail into different subject folders, some are Inbox folders and
some are desktop folders, some are automatic and some need manual
intervention.

I have set the e-mail system "view" to show  a small number of subject lines
and a large preview pane. The preview pane allows very rapid checking of the
e-mail contents without opening them and deletion where  necessary.

[ I am just as guilty , the last few sentences should really be on a
separate e-mail with a different heading, or should they ??]

regards

Peter G8AFN