In article <[log in to unmask]>, dated Sun, 22 Nov 1998 at
10:08:18, [log in to unmask] writes
>If GP-UK is modelling itself on the "Old Boars' Inn" then that doesn't quite
>seem appropriate to me. Shouldn't it be more like the local Post-Grad centre
>or am I missing something here.
>

Within the framework of an academic list you have a point. To put it
another way, you are probably technically correct. However, and I make
this observation as a non-GP who nevertheless has to plough through
numerous 'medical' mailing lists and newsgroups, I find the mix of
discussion on GP-UK quite refreshing. I obviously cannot speak from
experience but I imagine GP-UK very much reflects the real world as far
as matters on GP's minds are concerned. There may well be a place for
additional GP orientated lists. That is not the same as suggesting GP-UK
should change which in my opinion would be a backward step.

>If you want to grow, and maybe quite a few of you don't really want that, then
>please be more welcoming and inclusive. Don't slag people off in public -
>email them privately if they irritate you.

Ummm.... I quote

"I have also just joined GP-UK and I am rather disappointed with the
apparent exclusivity and cliqueyness of it as well as the small-
mindedness of some of the postings."

If that is not a "slagging-off"....? As far as private email is
concerned I would advise against mailing anyone just because they
irritate you. You will only end up feeding your irritation. Deal only
with issues. The criteria for deciding whether to mail publicly or
privately should be whether your response is of interest to a lists
subscribers as a group or just to the original poster. 

> Be mindful of the effect of the
>volume of mail which new members may not be prepared for and which does
>contain within it some worthwhile stuff - but nobody surely can pretend to
>have 180 worthwhile things to contribute every month.

There are many high-volume discussion mailing lists around. Any one
individual may well be subscribed to a range of mailing lists which when
combined equate to high volume. If you go back a few years, volume was a
problem which is why many Internet users preferred Usenet newsgroups
which were functionally better suited to high volume discussion.
However, email applications have improved by leaps and bounds in recent
years and now offer numerous facilities for managing mail. Volume alone
is therefore no longer a valid reason for complaint. Whether you
consider content "worthwhile" is a personal judgement. The only cause
for 'complaint' is whether or not the content is off-topic for a
particular list. Of course, you may feel that a particular list would
benefit from evolving into separate but associated lists and that is a
reasonable subject for discussion. Personally, I don't feel that GP-UK
has reached that stage yet but that is just my opinion, others may feel
differently. Although he who pays the piper calls the tune has some
relevance to this issue, the Internet's great strength is that solutions
are arrived at by consensus and that if you disagree with the consensus
you can take your ideas further by creating alternatives yourself. You
obviously would prefer a different flavour of GP mailing list to that
currently provided by GP-UK. There is nothing wrong in that. What is
generally considered to be 'bad form' is joining an *established*
Internet community and immediately proceeding to chastise its members
for not meeting *your* expectations.

Chris
-- 
Chris Salter (Vice Chairman)             Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network
                    Registered Charity No. 1064177
          <URL:http://www.zynet.co.uk/ott/polio/lincolnshire/>
     Web Site & Vice Chairman Email: [log in to unmask]
           Honorary Secretary Email: [log in to unmask]
        Member of the British Healthcare Internet Association


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