Dinosaur or not, PSCI-COM is incredibly useful for keeping up to date with what
other people are doing and (sometimes) thinking - by that I mean, know WHAT
people are thinking, sometimes, rather than THAT people are thinking, sometimes!
I find the digest a good way for controlling inbox overload but I'm always
amazed by how people communicate, when they are working in the field of
communication. I have deliberately done what so many people seem to do - hit
the reply button and start typing... How long is this message? And how much
of it is actually relevant? I usually find 3 or 4 'disclaimers', footers and
generally extraneous information. Nothing personal Tim.
Before you hit that send button, please clear the cr@p from the bottom -
maybe trail the previous answer, or two if it is really relevant. Look at
the 'one-liners' about the bears in space - some even funny, but how many
times do I want the 'suspend your self from the list' footer in one email?
This is a network for communicators, how about walking-the-talk?
So In my opinion, this is a great way for us in the far flung corners of the
universe (well rural Aberdeenshire) to keep in touch with the delights of
what's going on - and before you ask, not it didn't take this long for the
email to get here, I've just been doing other things!
Regarding Tim's point below, I'm not really surprised at the answer of the
PhD students - a directory is a good way of enabling 'self promotion', but
not necessarily facilitating ongoing communication. It may be useful for
their needs, but I would argue that it's not a priority here.
As for an online forum - I have found that the ones that get used are those
that people actually value, because they have a function, and we can all
probably point to a tumbleweed forum. I'll admit that I am a regular visitor
to a certain VW camper forum, because I need to know how to keep mine
running, and I participate in others that are useful to my work/interests.
The available software is good enough to allow you to subscribe to topics of
interest or specific threads... Another advantage is that each person can
have a 'profile' with as much information as they wish to share - so we can
all shamelessly self promote (yes those of you who know me will have already
spotted mine! add .co.uk to the unnecessarily hyphenated phrase to find out).
Although 'it ain't broke', if people actually value PSCI-COM (and I think
they do) then a forum could work and there is still the facility to allow us
dinosaurs to hoard information in our inboxes. Oh and we could miss out on
the 'off-topic' replies that occasionally crop up...
Kindest regards, and I'm now stepping off my soapbox.
Chris.
On Mon, 1 Dec 2008 07:18:55 +0000, Tim Reynolds <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>Hello all
>
>I'd just like to agree with the sentiments expressed in support of this
list format. It does a good job.
>
>Re facebook and discussion forums
>
>I've recently been involved with discussions with a group of 2nd/ 3rd year
PhD stidents who are recipients of a particular society's largesse about how
they would like to communicate with their peers and previous recipients. To
my surprise a facebook/ social networking concept was not widely supported -
in fact the most popular idea was an old fashioned directory with short
profiles and contact details plus the opportunity for face-to-face contact
from time-to-time.
>
>Discussion forums were seen as a waste of space and my experience with
other groups/ societies and discussion forums also backs up that thought.
Even if members /potential participants express wild initial enthusiasm for
discussion forums when put into practise for the majority of implementations
they are very rarely used to the extent anticipated.
>
>Best regards
>
>
>Tim 'Bruxelles" Reynolds
>> Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:40:56 +0000> From: [log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Is pscicom list a dinosaur?> To:
[log in to unmask]> > Hi i am new to science communication and have
found this list to be so > valuable. The other formats may look so much more
but don't deliver > have as much. a blogger could take six months to gather
some of the > answers that the list gives over a day or two.> > Colin
Murphy> [log in to unmask]> Visit us at www.pulse-project.org> > > > >
On 30 Nov 2008, at 14:54, Frank Norman wrote:> > > Your wish is their
command - the upgrade in 2 weeks' time will > > include RSS abstracts - "The
RSS abstract is either generated > > implicitly from existing text of the
message, or specified > > explicitly by a tag in the message. "> >> > See:>
> http://tinyurl.com/5cgvcr> >> > Frank> >> > ----- Original Message ----->
> From: Michael Kenward <[log in to unmask]>> > Date: Sunday, November 30,
2008 12:34 pm> > Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Is pscicom list a dinosaur?> >> >>
Excellent. I had not noticed that.> >>> >> It is a pity that the jiscmail
implementation is so spare. Titles> >> only.First few lines of the messages
would help. But you can't have> >> everything.> >> MK> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>
-----Original Message-----> >>> From: psci-com: on public engagement with
science> >>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frank Norman> >>>
Sent: 30 November 2008 11:09> >>> To: [log in to unmask]> >>> Subject:
Re: [PSCI-COM] Is pscicom list a dinosaur?> >>>> >>> Re. RSS, actually these
have been available for a while now.> >>> If you look at the list home page>
>>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com you> >>> will see
RSS buttons and links down at the bottom right.> >>>> >>> Frank Norman> >>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----> >>> From: Michael Kenward
<[log in to unmask]>> >>> Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008 7:31 pm> >>>
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Is pscicom list a dinosaur?> >>>> >>>> I would say
that it is a generation thing, but I know that this> >>>> list has> >>>>
some younger persons aboard.> >>>>> >>>> I belong to a lot of lists, but
rarely play in the Facebook> >> world,> >>>> which I> >>>> consider to be
suitable for the terminally trivial.> >>>>> >>>> I am a regular on various
forums, but I often use email to keep> >>>> track of> >>>> those.> >>>>>
>>>> Blogs are completely different.> >>>>> >>>> The one thing that this
list misses, but that others manage, is> >> an> >>>> RSS feed.> >>>>> >>>>
This is the delivery mechanism that unites blogs, social> >>> networks and>
>>>> forums.> >>>>> >>>> I am surprised that jiscmail has not implemented
RSS feeds on> >> its> >>>> lists.> >>>> ____________________________> >>>>
Michael Kenward> >>>> ABSW e-minder> >>>> http://www.absw.org.uk> >>>>
http://absw.blogspot.com/> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -----Original
Message-----> >>>>> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science> >>>>>
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kaplish, Lalita> >>>>> Sent:
29 November 2008 15:54> >>>>> To: [log in to unmask]> >>>>> Subject:
[PSCI-COM] Is pscicom list a dinosaur?> >>>>>> >>>>> Hello,> >>>>>> >>>>> In
a recent converstion with me, a new young science writer> >>>> expressed>
surprise that this mailing list was still so active.> >> The> >>>> idea>
>>>>> of mailing> >>>>> lists seemed old-fashioned to him, given the rise of
forums> >> and> >>>> blogs> etc. So I wondered what other people on the
list> >> thought. Is> >>>> our list> >>>>> coming to an evolutionary dead
end? Have mailing lists had> >> their> >>>> day?> Has the younger/more
foreward looking science> >> communication> >>>> community> migrated to
other watering holes in the virtual> >> world?> >>>> If you are> >>>>>
talking/sharing science communication or PUS issues> >> elsewhere, I'd>
>>>>> really like to hear about it.> >>>>>> >>>>> Lalita> >>>>>> >>>>>
Lalita Kaplish> >>>>> Wellcome Library> >>>>> Wellcome Trust> >>>>> 183
Euston Road> >>>>> London NW1 2BE, UK> >>>>>> >>>>> T +44 (0)20 7611 7316>
>>>>> The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in> >>>>> England, no.
210183. Its sole trustee is The Wellcome> >>>>> Trust Limited, a company
registered in England,> >>>>> no. 2711000, whose registered office is at>
>>>>> 215 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK.> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> This
message has been scanned for viruses by BlackSpider> >>>>> MailControl -
www.blackspider.com> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>
**************************************************************> >>>
********> 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on> >>> leave, for
example,> >>>>> send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the>
>>>>> following message:> >>>>>> >>>>> set psci-com nomail -- [include
hyphens]> >>>>>> >>>>> 2. To resume email from the list, send an email to>
>>>>> [log in to unmask] with the message:> >>>>>> >>>>> set psci-com
mail -- [include hyphens]> >>>>>> >>>>> 3. To leave psci-com, send an email
to> >>>>> [log in to unmask] with the message:> >>>>>> >>>>> leave
psci-com -- [include hyphens]> >>>>>> >>>>> 4. Further information about the
psci-com discussion list,> >>>>> including list archive, can be found at the
list web site:> >>>>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> >>>>>>
>>>>> 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science> >>>>>
communication and science and society can be found at> >>>>>
http://psci-com.ac.uk> >>>>>> >>>>> 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner,
please send an email> >>>>> to mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>>>>
**************************************************************> >>>>>
********> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>
**********************************************************************> > >>
> 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for > >> example,>
>>>> send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the> >> following>
>>>> message:> >>>> set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]> >>>>> >>>> 2.
To resume email from the list, send an email to> >>>>
[log in to unmask] with the message:> >>>>> >>>> set psci-com mail --
[include hyphens]> >>>>> >>>> 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to
[log in to unmask]> >> with> >>>> the message:> >>>>> >>>> leave
psci-com -- [include hyphens]> >>>>> >>>> 4. Further information about the
psci-com discussion list,> >>>> including list archive, can be found at the
list web site:> >>>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> >>>>>
>>>> 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science> >>>>
communication and science and society can be found at> >> http://psci-> >>>>
com.ac.uk> >>>> 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email
to> >>>> mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>>>> >>>> >>
**********************************************************************> > >>
>> >>>> >>>> >>
**********************************************************************> > >>
1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,> >>>
send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the> >>> following
message:> >>>> >>> set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]> >>>> >>> 2. To
resume email from the list, send an email to> >>> [log in to unmask]
with the message:> >>>> >>> set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]> >>>> >>>
3. To leave psci-com, send an email to> >>> [log in to unmask] with the
message:> >>>> >>> leave psci-com -- [include hyphens]> >>>> >>> 4. Further
information about the psci-com discussion list,> >>> including list archive,
can be found at the list web site:> >>>
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> >>>> >>> 5. The psci-com
gateway to internet resources on science> >>> communication and science and
society can be found at> >>> http://psci-com.ac.uk> >>>> >>> 6. To contact
the Psci-com list owner, please send an email> >>> to
mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>>
**************************************************************> >>>
********> >>> >>
**********************************************************************> >>
1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,> >> send
an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following> >> message:>
>> set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]> >>> >> 2. To resume email from
the list, send an email to> >> [log in to unmask] with the message:>
>>> >> set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]> >>> >> 3. To leave psci-com,
send an email to [log in to unmask] with> >> the message:> >>> >> leave
psci-com -- [include hyphens]> >>> >> 4. Further information about the
psci-com discussion list,> >> including list archive, can be found at the
list web site:> >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> >>> >> 5.
The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science> >> communication and
science and society can be found at http://psci-> >> com.ac.uk> >> 6. To
contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to> >>
mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>
**********************************************************************> >>>
>> > **********************************************************************>
> 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,> >
send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following > >
message:> >> > set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]> >> > 2. To resume
email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] > > with the
message:> >> > set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]> >> > 3. To leave
psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with > > the message:> >>
> leave psci-com -- [include hyphens]> >> > 4. Further information about the
psci-com discussion list, including > > list archive, can be found at the
list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> >> > 5. The
psci-com gateway to internet resources on science > > communication and
science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk> >> > 6. To
contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to
mailto:[log in to unmask]> >
**********************************************************************> >
**********************************************************************> 1.
To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,> send an
email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message:> > set
psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]> > 2. To resume email from the list,
send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:> > set psci-com
mail -- [include hyphens]> > 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to
[log in to unmask] with the message:> > leave psci-com -- [include
hyphens]> > 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list,
including list archive, can be found at the list web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html> > 5. The psci-com gateway to
internet resources on science communication and science and society can be
found at http://psci-com.ac.uk> > 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner,
please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask]>
**********************************************************************
>_________________________________________________________________
>BigSnapSearch.com - 24 prizes a day, every day - Search Now!
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>**********************************************************************
>1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
>send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message:
>
>set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]
>
>2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask]
with the message:
>
>set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]
>
>3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the
message:
>
>leave psci-com -- [include hyphens]
>
>4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list
archive, can be found at the list web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html
>
>5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and
science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
>
>6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to
mailto:[log in to unmask]
>**********************************************************************
>
>
>
>
>
**********************************************************************
1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message:
set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]
2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:
set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]
3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:
leave psci-com -- [include hyphens]
4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html
5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask]
**********************************************************************
