🚀 go-pugleaf

Robert Schaefer (rjsc@home.winc.com) wrote:
: In article <DsFuHJ.Fqu@freenet.akron.oh.us>,
: >
dr-- Hi Bob!
: Well, I tend to agree with both of you.  Although, I do have a question
: to the prohibiting of ads, what exactly is considered an ad? 
dr-- My opinion is if you have a toaster or outdoor jacuzi or a
FarmAll tractor and you want to offer it, I think that is an ad,
but not REALly an ad  :-)  If you (meaning a general "you") have been
in conversation here, then letting us know you have a bargain available
is not exactly an ad. If you email 200 different sites in the internet
universe shouting "Get your FarmAll while it's hot!!!!" -- well, I 
personally would consider that a rude intrusion in akr.misc when it is
posted... especially if you have never bothered even talking to us before.
Just my own viewpoint....

: Is it when
: I'm trying to sell you something? (I figure yes) 
dr-- again, my view is newsgroups are like actual voice conversations
among many folk. I may not directly post to another person's note, but
I get to know them a bit. When they mention they would just as soon
have money than their set of hang-glider instructions, then I would
consider it as just another part of that person's conversation.

: Does it include
: announcements of things like local theatre productions?  (I figure no,
: from another post made a couple of months ago) 
dr-- in my viewpoint, one mentioning the day/time/etc about a theatre
production IS an announcement, and not an ad. (Selective, aren't I!)
Let's say I don't go to theater anywhere, but say you mention a play
opening this coming weekend, and I recall seeing it many years ago: I
would be encouraged to go, because you brought it to my attention.

: What about a computer
: show, collector's show, or other similar items?  Where is the line drawn
: on this?  Any thoughts/suggestions would be nice.
dr-- again, I am only giving my opinion (I haven't learned how to give
anyone's else's yet!): if you own a computer store and you are setting up
for business at the coming computer show, I would like to know you are
taking part in that, and I would like to know the time/day of the show.
You could put in your 'signature' that you sell Ataris and will have
special bargains at the coming computer show. I think that most people
who would be looking for Ataris would know the general inventory carried.
If you would get into a long price list and so forth, I would consider
that an ad, rather than an announcement about the show and the interest-
ing news that you are taking part in it.

: As to reducing the unwanted traffic, I don't see how it can be done
: easily, I also read a couple of the cle.* newsgroups and they suffer
: from the same problem, about 1 in 10 posts is actually from the
: Cleveland area.  I would really like to see this group become more Akron
: oriented, but I think cutting the annoying traffic would reduce this
: group to virtually no traffic! :)
dr-- Bob, I am reading this group specifically because you have posted
a note that seemed to me an invitation to exchange ideas and comments.
Had you have posted a note with a subject line: 
    "Spend money FAST!!!!!!! See Bob NOW!! $$$$$$$"
I'd have left your note unread, and would have been irritated again :-)

: Along this line, what do people who read this group really want to see?
dr-- What *I* want to see, is an exchange of information and the telling
of experiences that relate to Akron. I mentioned seeing the ball park 
in downtown Akron. Those who read the note may have said "so big deal"
or whatever, but they know exactly where and what I was referring to.
Akron is getting less 'homey' in the last decade or so: I think we all
lose when we get to thinking there is no common ground and expanded
neighborhood-iness in our city.
And also, there ARE things going on to participate in. You might announce
the very same play advertised in the newspaper: I would pay more attention
to what YOU said about it, than some paid reporter.... why? Because I 
would know you are personally interested in sharing the news, and are
available to converse about other aspects of the theater, etc.

: Personally I was planning on using it to announce when shows for the
: local theatres I work with are.  If this sounds like something you would
: enjoy, I would appreciate some positive or even negative feedback.
dr-- see above :-)    Yes, I think that is a good idea. A suggestion
would be to add those little bits you know that won't be in the paper, 
(the last role done by the star, or some item about the struggles for
the playright to first get the play onstage.) Etc. And you could tell
some of your experiences.

: Also, what kind of additional information you would want, other than the
: title, theatre and production dates.  Do you want basic plot?  Who's in
: it?  How to get to the theatre from different places?  Or would you
: prefer these items in e-mail rather than posts?
dr-- I think all except the travel directions are good ideas, for public
posting. Aside from noting the general location of the theater, I would
think it would be good to invite people to email you, if they need more
help on directions, and then send email to those who get their 76's and
77's mixed up (sigh......who designed this durn expressway system!!??)

: The other question is just how many people are lurking out there?  Any
: ideas? 
dr-- there are as many people lurking here (percentage-wise) as there 
are in any group of people..... some are talkers and some are doers
and some are observers. I am a Talker (surprise!!!!). You are a doer,
and those who read and find no need or desire to publicly comment are
the observers. And Bob: I could type all I want, and if there were no
observers/readers, then my loquaciousness is for naught. If you do the
thing of making information known, and no observer reads it and possibly
acts on it, then you have composed and typed a note and that is all. Yes?
But of course Talkers want a bit of feedback, and Doers like to know
if the effort benefits others, so maybe in time, the Observers will
publicly contribute. 

: I see posts from about three people on this group and that's
: about it.  I know I'm usually lurking, but that's because I ususally
: don't have much to say. 
dr-- I usually talk/type whether I have anything to say or not! 

 Another thought that just crossed my mind would
: be discussions of local clubs and/or bands.  (Okay, so I like the local
: live entertainment scene)   What are people's thoughts on all of this
: rambling?
dr-- I wonder too what peoples' thoughts are about this. I would assume
that most folks reading these notes have interests or hobbies or ideas
that would be informative to other readers. I would think if most of
us provide a 'safe forum' for the exchange of ideas, wherein we get
to know each other a bit, then more of us will take part.Don't you?
You have mentioned some interesting topics...

Internet gives us an opportunity most of us don't have elsewhere. 
Who and what we are when interacting on the internet is evaluated only
by what our ideas are, and how we express them. That makes us all 
equal, regardless of the 'usual forms of judging people' -- if I can
write an interesting note about what Summit Beach Park used to be
like, it doesn't matter what kind of car I drive or where I live....
if a person responds to how I have expressed my thoughts and what
those thoughts are, there then is an opportunity for both sides to
learn and enjoy akr.misc.

Now, Bob: let this be a lesson to you! When you ask for feedback,
sometimes you might get force-fed! (especially if people are writing
posts at three a.m.,and are just realizing they got over-enthusiastic
is answering YOUR post!)

Thanks for posting to akr.misc, and I hope that folks will join us!

Deanie Richards