Re: Skate America - Missing In Action


"Jennifer Lyon" <jjenniferlyon@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:AbU6f.1596$jV2.77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> ----------
> In article <s3nnl1pmaaeqhk93fmnfd11dmb6a3kdgvr@xxxxxxx>, PatC
> <pcolpitts@xxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> > On Sun, 23 Oct 2005 06:55:55 -0700, "Ruth Lafler"
> > <rlafler@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >>Yeah, some of us who are at Skate America are at this moment discussing
> > this
> >>problem: how to either rejuvenate this newsgroup or set up a web-based
> >>alternative.
> >>
> >>Any ideas?
> >
> > Set up a web based alternative.
>
> How would this web based alternative be different from FSU,
> Goldenskate, or the gazillions of ez board skating forums?
>
> > There are computers available in a
> > lot of places, but most of them don't carry usenet except thru google.
> > And I don't know about anyone else, but I hate the google newsgroup
> > thing.
>
> I don't mind it too much, although I prefer to use my newsreader.

Unfortunately Usenet always seems to have been the poor relation of Internet
services; while as everybody on the Net has heard of e-mail and the Web, the
vast bulk are totally unaware of the thousands of newsgroups that they can
access, often with the same software they're using for mail (like Outlook
Express). The fact that ISPs like AOL have dumped Usenet doesn't help promote
it. So the groups die or just get left to trolls and spammers.

I find that the newsreader is much quicker and easier to use than web-based
forums. The latter are slower because they have to download a whole lot of
HTML, graphics (adverts?) style sheets and other junk to display the
messages, while as the newsreader just downloads the message itself. You can
also customize the threading of messages much easier and long threads aren't
scattered over multiple pages. It's simply a case of a technology that was
developed to fulfill a particular pupose, and so does the job better.
Web-based boards are like web-based e-mail - bastardized concoctions of a
technology that was designed for something totally different, so they will
never be as convenient to use as a proper news or e-mail client.

I think the key test as to whether rssif is dead will come during the Winter
Olympics. This traditionally brings in a flood of newbies (particularly if
there's a scandal - the SLC scandal resulted in 11,000 postings in February
2002 when the typical number is about 1000 to 1500).

Perhaps persuade Speedy and the USFSA to allow Tonya back? That would
guarantee a stir!



Terry Hall
Head of Special Duties Section
Portland Ice Skating Society - New Zealand's Tonya Harding fan club
http://www.geocities.com/portice


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