From owner-rockhounds-digest@drizzle.com Sat Dec 2 19:12:51 2000 Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 23:48:56 -0800 From: rockhounds-digest Reply-To: rockhounds@drizzle.com To: rockhounds-digest@drizzle.com Subject: rockhounds-digest V1 #667 rockhounds-digest Monday, November 20 2000 Volume 01 : Number 667 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 22:10:16 -0800 From: "Kemp LaMunyon" Subject: Re: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists For those that would like to contribute to an ezine. My son is going to take over the ezine on our web site. If you would like to contribute please send email to myrajo@valint.net with your articles. We will post them and give you credits for them at the top of the articles with a link back to your website. As far as the emag goes it will be your magazine. check it over at url below and see if there isn't a subject you would like to write on. Thanks Kemp GeoSearch Engine, RMG Banner exchange, Rocks http://www.geosearchengine.com - --- (Geology & related products of Search Engine) ICQ:2567788 --- - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 7:54 AM Subject: Re: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists > I too miss the Lapidary Digest and would gladly pay a yearly subscription fee. > Tom Alsbury > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 22:29:09 -0800 From: "Dawn Fredricks" Subject: Re: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists I believe that Don (can't remember his last name) in Colorado tried that when the orig rock hounds list ended. He also did some online classes, pinto bean casting and a wire class that you sent him payment to cover the supplies and you got a pass word to see on line instructions. Still have the wire, but haven't done it yet. Never did try the casting. Don't know if he is still going or not. He had several different lists with different interests. There was also another branch off of the list, but I can't remember who was doing that one. dawnf@quest.net - ----- Original Message ----- From: "H.Durstling" To: Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2000 21:54 PM Subject: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists > > > Hi Folks, > > Some months ago, the "Lapidary Digest" list folded. Just about a week ago, > the "Faceter's Digest" list followed. And, now, today, we learn that the > "rocks-and-fossils" list is also soon to join them. > > This is regrettable. There is a lack in my life without the cameraderie and > the informed and practical gem information that was so abundant on > "Lapidary Digest" and "Faceter's Digest". > > The news that "rocks-and-fossils" is about to close or change to a new list > comes by strange co-incidence in the middle of a debate I've been having > with my good friend Carol Bova, who knows a thing or two about burnout > herself from having published the "Eclectic Lapidary" online magazine. > Perhaps you, list members, can help decide that debate. > > I'm arguing that running a good, informative, well managed list comes > almost with burnout built in. The better the list is, the better the input > from members, the more informative the posts are, the more subscribers who > will join. Yet as more and more subscribers join, that inevitably means > more and more demands upon the list manager's time, so that in time, (and > the better the list, the quicker it will happen) what began as a hobby > turns into the equivalent of a job. And curbing spam and dousing flame wars > can be quite a demanding job. > > To this point, Carol and I agree. But where we differ is that I believe > that the solution is a list which charges a subscription fee. It doesn't > have to be a big fee, just enough to assure the list manager a reasonably > fair compensation for all that time and work. Say 10 dollars a year. I'm a > member of one list (technical writers) where a paid subscription model was > debated, last year, when list traffic threatened to overwhelm the > capacities of both the manager of the list and the server which carried it. > In that case, it was decided to go with a daily bulletin of paid > advertising rather than a subscription fee. But we gem and mineral folks do > it more for love, while technical writing is more of a salaried profession, > hence paid ads for books, conferences, and jobs can carry the cost of the > technical writing list, which might not be the case for us gem and mineral > afficionadoes. > > To cut the long story short, my feeling is that there would be enough > demand for a gem-cutting and lapidary list on the small-subscription-fee > model that it could work. Carol, for her part, is inclined to be dubious, > but is, she says, willing to be persuaded. > > What do YOU think? I know that the demise of "Lapidary Digest and > "Faceter's Digest" has opened up a gap that I certainly would be prepared > to pay a subscription to fill. But would anyone else? What say you, fellow > listers? > > Cheers, > Hans Durstling > Moncton, Canada > > > ################################################################# > # Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing Alias: rockhounds@drizzle.com # > # Web: http://www.drizzle.com/~afox/rockhounds/ # > # Subscription Services: majordomo@drizzle.com # > ################################################################# > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 22:55:06 -0800 From: "Kemp LaMunyon" Subject: Re: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists I think that was Don Bell? He had some cool stuff on his site. I wonder if he is still around and what his site url was again? Thanks Kemp GeoSearch Engine, RMG Banner exchange, Rocks http://www.geosearchengine.com - --- (Geology & related products of Search Engine) ICQ:2567788 --- - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dawn Fredricks" To: Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 10:29 PM Subject: Re: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists > I believe that Don (can't remember his last name) in Colorado tried that > when the orig rock hounds list ended. He also did some online classes, > pinto bean casting and a wire class that you sent him payment to cover the > supplies and you got a pass word to see on line instructions. Still have > the wire, but haven't done it yet. Never did try the casting. Don't know > if he is still going or not. He had several different lists with different > interests. There was also another branch off of the list, but I can't > remember who was doing that one. > > dawnf@quest.net > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "H.Durstling" > To: > Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2000 21:54 PM > Subject: Burnout on the Mineral and Gem Lists > > > > > > > > Hi Folks, > > > > Some months ago, the "Lapidary Digest" list folded. Just about a week ago, > > the "Faceter's Digest" list followed. And, now, today, we learn that the > > "rocks-and-fossils" list is also soon to join them. > > > > This is regrettable. There is a lack in my life without the cameraderie > and > > the informed and practical gem information that was so abundant on > > "Lapidary Digest" and "Faceter's Digest". > > > > The news that "rocks-and-fossils" is about to close or change to a new > list > > comes by strange co-incidence in the middle of a debate I've been having > > with my good friend Carol Bova, who knows a thing or two about burnout > > herself from having published the "Eclectic Lapidary" online magazine. > > Perhaps you, list members, can help decide that debate. > > > > I'm arguing that running a good, informative, well managed list comes > > almost with burnout built in. The better the list is, the better the input > > from members, the more informative the posts are, the more subscribers who > > will join. Yet as more and more subscribers join, that inevitably means > > more and more demands upon the list manager's time, so that in time, (and > > the better the list, the quicker it will happen) what began as a hobby > > turns into the equivalent of a job. And curbing spam and dousing flame > wars > > can be quite a demanding job. > > > > To this point, Carol and I agree. But where we differ is that I believe > > that the solution is a list which charges a subscription fee. It doesn't > > have to be a big fee, just enough to assure the list manager a reasonably > > fair compensation for all that time and work. Say 10 dollars a year. I'm a > > member of one list (technical writers) where a paid subscription model was > > debated, last year, when list traffic threatened to overwhelm the > > capacities of both the manager of the list and the server which carried > it. > > In that case, it was decided to go with a daily bulletin of paid > > advertising rather than a subscription fee. But we gem and mineral folks > do > > it more for love, while technical writing is more of a salaried > profession, > > hence paid ads for books, conferences, and jobs can carry the cost of the > > technical writing list, which might not be the case for us gem and mineral > > afficionadoes. > > > > To cut the long story short, my feeling is that there would be enough > > demand for a gem-cutting and lapidary list on the small-subscription-fee > > model that it could work. Carol, for her part, is inclined to be dubious, > > but is, she says, willing to be persuaded. > > > > What do YOU think? I know that the demise of "Lapidary Digest and > > "Faceter's Digest" has opened up a gap that I certainly would be prepared > > to pay a subscription to fill. But would anyone else? What say you, fellow > > listers? > > > > Cheers, > > Hans Durstling > > Moncton, Canada > > > > > > ################################################################# > > # Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing Alias: rockhounds@drizzle.com # > > # Web: http://www.drizzle.com/~afox/rockhounds/ # > > # Subscription Services: majordomo@drizzle.com # > > ################################################################# > > > > ################################################################# > # Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing Alias: rockhounds@drizzle.com # > # Web: http://www.drizzle.com/~afox/rockhounds/ # > # Subscription Services: majordomo@drizzle.com # > ################################################################# > ------------------------------ End of rockhounds-digest V1 #667 ******************************** ################################################################# # To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Rockhoundz List, send mail # # to with the following keys: # # subscribe rockhounds (or) unsubscribe rockhounds # # rockhounds@drizzle.com | http://callisto.golder.com/rockhoundz# #################################################################