[Asterisk-Users] Mailing list growth

[John Todd]

At 12:49 AM -0600 1/9/04, Tilghman Lesher wrote:
>On Friday 09 January 2004 00:15, Mark Spencer wrote:
>>  I still think we need something more fine grained.  I think we can
>>  add the asterisk-biz list, and eventually something akin to a newbie
>>  list, but need a more appropriate name, IMHO.
>
>new-to-asterisk at lists.digium.com
>
>I'd also be inclined to have asterisk-advocacy, where flames, criticism,
>administrivia, and other things like that belong.
>
>There could even be asterisk-nondigiumhardware, although that's a little
>long.  Perhaps someone has a better name for this?
>
>Also, given how people seem to like crossposting announcements of new
>products and packages to multiple lists, perhaps asterisk-announcements
>could be opened up for anybody who wishes to post.  That would get rid
>of a large amount of redundant posts.
>
>-Tilghman

I am not of any particular opinion on how a more introductory list 
should be formed; others may debate that.

My only request is that a -biz list be created, as that is an 
easily-defined message zone.  I would propose it's charter be:

   - any discussions about consultant availability
   - any discussions about specific hardware vendors or VARs not 
related to the equipment (i.e.: costs, phone numbers, availability 
lists, etc.)
   - any discussions about telephony service providers, including 
specific configurations
   - any discussions about any of the preceeding items as far as 
gripes, compliments, or rumors
   - posts about interesting items on eBay or other bargain sites

One of the very nice things about Asterisk is that it can take so 
many different types of hardware and services.  Discussions about 
specific places to transact business do not belong on the main list, 
as that typically devolves into back-and-forth chatter or gets the 
typical cc: reply from some vendor who wants to plaster their name 
onto the list.

There needs to be a concentrated place that we can look for resources 
in the hardware/consultant/provider segments of the community; I'd 
suggest that the -biz list would serve that purpose.  It's easily 
segmented, clearly defined, and the creation of such a blatantly 
commercial list would perhaps encourage more vendors to actually post 
the availability of their hardware (and prices!) in one place so that 
we Asterisk admins wouldn't have to rely on word-of-mouth to find 
vendors for certain pieces of gear or do day-long searches for 
specific pricing information.

JT