Polls; Hiatus timing difficulties and a possible solution (was: What Price Success?)

[tonyaminton]

> Tammy Rizzo:
> I had thought about a poll, but I think that, in all fairness, the 
ideas being polled should first 
> be explained to the list in general, in as glowing, advertising-
blitz terms as possible.  For 
> instance, in trying to 'sell' the two-week break, we could 
emphasise the fact that people 
> could certainly use the time off from posting to read, RE-read, and 
digest the book, and that 
> they should take notes of interesting thoughts that strike them at 
first read, and again at 
> second read, and that they can use the time off to thoughtfully 
compose their impressions 
> into text files, ready to cut and paste to the list on re-opening 
day.  Also, and this would be 
> the MAJOR point, I think, it would level the playing field between 
fast readers and theorisors 
> and slow ones.  I know I was crushed, nay, DEVASTATED to log in, 
ready to send in my 
> wonderful theories after OOP, only to find that they'd all, *every* 
*single* *one* of them, 
> already been posted and picked to pieces before I'd even had the 
chance to finish my book.  
> That's just not right.  Three days into this HUGE book's release, 
NEW canon, EVERYBODY 
> is on unfamiliar ground, and I log in and already I'm a mere, 
worthless, 'me-too' wannabee?! 
> I read as fast as I could!  Three days and it's all old hat?!  
Giving everyone the same 
> amount of time to thoroughly ponder their ideas, to research if 
they will, to take notes and 
> expand and expound upon them, to write, re-write, polish and 
perfect their thoughts and 
> theories, can ONLY be beneficial to all.  It is certainly not 
discriminatory against anyone, 
> and is definitely not a penalty against faster readers -- in fact, 
they'll benefit by having even 
> MORE time to craft their posts!  Also, it would allow new members 
joining up immediately 
> after HBP to wander through the archives and the Humongous Big File 
and the Fantastic 
> Posts and all those wonderful things, and get a feel for the group 
without being FLOODED 
> by fresh posts right off the bat.
> 
> As for the proposed hiatus' timing and it's impact on our southern 
members, whose 
> schedules are so reversed from ours (especially Australia/NZ/etc, 
who are practically 
> opposite GMT) . . . well, there's a wonderful little freebie 
program called 'iOpus BEEE' (for 
> Windows; Better Email-Enable Everything, by iOpus software company, 
with whom I'm NOT 
> affiliated) that can send text files to selected email addresses on 
a timer, so you could type 
> up your posts and set the program to mail your messages right out 
as soon as the list is re-
> opened, and you wouldn't have to stay up until 0-dark:30 to post to 
the list, or suffer for it in 
> class the next morning.  You could even set this timer several days 
ahead of time, and not 
> have to worry about missing the re-opening at all.  I've used this 
program myself, for such 
> things as 'email your vote every hour' polls, and it works fine.  
BEEE even opens a dial-up 
> connection if needed, and closes it afterward, and can use its own 
smtp sevice as well, if 
> required.  Wonderful little timesaver.  I think it would be just 
the thing, along with everyone 
> pre-writing their posts, to remedy the 'left out' feelings from 
down under.  I mean, I'm 
> positive that all these well-thought-out, painstakingly 
constructed, wonderful posts from 
> Shaun and others aren't COMPOSED on the website posting page.  They 
MUST have been 
> written as a text file first -- my Yahoo login doesn't LAST long 
enough for me to compose 
> such posts before it logs me off and I lose everything in the 
posting page.
> 
> It's simple, it's fair, and with BEEE (found at 
http://www.iopus.com/freeware/beee/index.htm)  
> there would be no time difference to really worry about. 
> 
> ***
> Tammy Rizzo
> ms-tamany at r...
> Check out my site:  http://pageswirl.com/rotate.php?user=trnetworks
> 
Now Tonya:

Tammy,

I couldn't cut any of your post, what a fantastic post.  You have a 
different perspective and I think that is what this feedback list is 
for.  I am sure that the elfs and the owners will come up with a 
solution to level the playing field on the main list.  I know they 
are reading everyone opinions and they will take it into 
consideration.   

Tonya