On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:34:13 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

I don't get much use out of our archives and I wonder how many of you
do. We often refer others to the archives, but I suspect that's owing to
our recalling a particular discussion we had here rather than from
actually visiting the archives.

Archived threads represent the entirety of rcw's history; roses and
warts, useful and misleading, polite and rude, calm and shrill, but we
are a 'fast food' group. It's easier to ask for or repeat, maybe
correct and update, archived info with a new post here rather than going
to the trouble of visiting the archives. Besides the trouble, like the
opinions brayed by tv's talking heads, just because a thread is archived
doesn't make it true.

What trouble? Well for one thing our threads often depart from the
subject line with the first response and subsequent posts ricochet off
and on the captioned topic. That's ok for the forum and often the
serendipity is 'better' than the subject, but it's not a good thing for
the person looking to the archives for specific info. Try it, I bet you
won't like it!

Posting humorous retorts or 'similar experiences' which aren't at all
similar or OT alternate suggestions or inappropriate url references,
etc. are diversions that may be entertaining and are often
very helpful. IMO they should continue, they will anyway. Not mutually
exclusive of course, but for most contributors to rcw the give and take
is as much for amusement as for teaching or learning something specific
about the craft.

For the sake of making the archives more user friendly, should we at
least wait for the first two or three posts or a day without a response
before detouring from the op's subject? For that matter, should a
subject line ever be changed within a thread? I'm flailng my keyboard
and shouting "Mea Magna Culpa!" to both.

We have had some good housekeeping suggestions in the past, but they had
very short half lives, ex; listing our locations.
Rcw just keeps rolling along as is and
undoubtedly will stay the same regardless of any changes anyone might
suggest.

Do any of you truly find the archives useful except as a referral for
someone else? How? why? what? If you do, any ideas for making the
archives even more worthwhile? You know of course, that nothing will
change, but I'm just musing.

Two will getcha ten that the first response to this mush if any, will
either be a joke or a suggested url re the price of tea in China. So
what! Nothing wrong with that. This ng is to enjoy as well as to learn
or help. Shame that the archives can't be edited, but who can can I
trust to agree with me?


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

I use the archives once in a while, but prefer to get a live, current response
from someone that has recently solved my problem or whatever...

I do get several "google it" responses, but if everyone googled instead of
asking questions, there wouldn't be much use for this group, would/wood there?


Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm