An idea for improving post quality on the main list..

[a_reader2003]

Carolina made this suggestion off-list to me, which I really like. 
Its nicely subversive and hopefully would do wonders to improve 
posting quality. I wouldn't think of trying to manage the posts in 
the sense of issuing subjects to people or anything like that, but it 
would be great if people in this group felt inspired to use the 
results of our cataloguing in this way as the mood takes them.

Can I just reiterate that if you do, *don't mention the catalogue* as 
the source. The project is not a state secret, but until we have 
agreed all sorts of things about its content, legality and 
appearance, and not least when it will eventually appear, it is 
probably best not to start talking about it too widely outside the 
group. 

Carolina:
> > Do you think it would help a periodic post just to bring some 
threads to
> > light? With subject 'Have you read this?' and some fantastic 
posts or
> > theories as the body. Not as an admin iniciative, just as anyone 
could do
> > it,
> > only that we are coding the posts so that we already have to read 
them. I
> > think some posters are not aware of what's been witten in the 
group, and
> > Yahoomort is pure hell after a 20000 posts search. With the 
uncontroled
> > volume of the last period, everything is buried.
>

Carolyn:
> I think this is just a great idea.... It would be slightly like 
the 'Fantastic
> post' essays, but more work-in-progress. I really love the idea of 
this
> mysterious group of people keep putting up threads like this, 
getting
> people thinking again.

Carolina:
How was that phrase? 'If you control 3% of the energy of the system, 
you 
control the system' I read it in a ecology text book, and applied to 
ecosystems, but ilustrates nicely how subtle changes can have wider 
impacts.  

Well, I think there's a good number of lurkers or posters that are 
not 
interested in current dicussions but don't have easy acces to good 
material. 
If we feed the list, we may resurge themes that don't get debated as 
steadily 
as R/H  Snape/Sirius etc or haven't been debated with new canon. 
Bluesqueak 
suggested the list will calm and then we'll be able to think, but if 
there is 
people who wants to think but don't have enough input to do so, let's 
help 
them (and us) in the meantime. 


Barry also made a related point in connection with the 'adds nothing 
new' discussion (422):

>>>One point that bothers me; posters join, post, drift away and are 
replaced. The Yahoo search facility is crap; very few browse through 
past posts, they usually only enter the infernal pit when directed to 
specific posts. Anything posted 6 months ago is ancient history. So 
it's reasonable to assume that earlier posts are not much read and 
probably never read if the subject matter has lain dormant for a 
while. 
So there are likely to be lots of examples of independent 
'discoveries' - restatements of previously posted theories that are 
not 
derived or copied from the originals.<<<<

>>>Do they deserve a mention? My instinct is to say yes. But it'd be 
up to 
the team member to decide if it was a continuation of an existing 
thread or fortuitous serendipity. Not easy, I know.	<<<<
	
Carolyn:
It seems to me that trying to write a coherent post based on 
gleanings from these old threads might have the additional benefit of 
helping clear our minds somewhat on what should and should not go in 
this reject category.	

Anyway, hope people are inspired.

Carolyn