What's more insulting? (was Re: Clay Shirky on social software)

[naamagatus]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "David" <dfrankiswork at n...> 
wrote:
> Naama wrote:
> 
> > It depends on individual psychology. I would be doubly insulted 
> that 
> > somebody read my post and wasn't interested enough to reply! I 
> prefer 
> > to think that the post wasn't noticed, rather than read and 
tossed 
> > away.
> 
> You say that, but I wonder if you have thought through the 
> implications.  

Of course not! <g>

> We have nearly 10,000 members on the main list - most 
> of these are lurkers.  Let's suppose 90% have forgotten their 
> membership so we have about 1000 active members including 'active 
> lurkers' - that is, people who make an effort to read but never 
>post. Even if the numbers are not right the argument will carry 
>through.
> 
> How many people will read one of your posts, do you suppose?  A 
> hundred?  Five hundred?  How many will reply?  How many do you 
>*want* to reply?

Well, I did write my post with a bit of tongue in cheek, however 
(since you insist on taking it seriously), I don't think the numbers 
argument stands. People read posts on subjects that interest them. 
For instance, I didn't read Shaun's astronomy post (sorry, Shuan) 
simply because the subject doesn't interest me (all that detail!). 
So, even if all the people who read my post reply to it, there may 
not be so many of them. Obviously, though, *I* can't be expected to 
answer all their posts, can I? ;-) 

I wasn't making a policy suggestion, David. Just throwing murky light 
on my unfathomable insecurities.



Naama