>2. It's still useful to have a dedicated reference forum in one place, for
>as long as there are filmscanners around. Even if traffic is negligible, it
>may be tomorrow that any of us needs the conduit to the expertise of
>others.
But if your analysis is correct and traffic is negligable because most of
the knowledgable users have adequate knowledge and are using their older
models of scanner and not keeping up with the newer models, then eventually
there will not be a group of informed contributing subscribers around to
sustain the list as a dedicated reference forum or to provide that expertise
tommorrow.
>4. Lists tend to be most useful when precisely focussed and not polluted
>with OT wibble and squabbles about OT wibble.
There are two schools of thought about this; I take the other school and
bind precisely focussed lists without OT to be both boring and lacking in
any feeling of community among the subscribers who remain impersonal
anonymous entities or institutional memory since members tend to treat the
list as a technical support line only and lurk until they need something but
rarely contribute information or feel obligated to do so.
> Widening the scope of this
>list would only dilute that utility and risk driving away those who don't
>share precisely the same interests, thereby diluting the usefulness of this
>list for its primary purpose. If lists aren't useful, people leave.
People who make up the the sustaining contributors to any list tend to leave
even if the list is useful when the list becomes one where the same issues
and questions repeatedly come up, the same discussion recirculate over and
over repetitively, and nothing new and interesting is introduced.
Ironically, it is OT discussions that add the spice and novelty to the list
conversation that keeps the list alive and interesting to those who tend to
be the sustaining contributors since they frequently are the ones who are
giving out most of the information and rarely need much from the list by way
of useful information having been there frequently in the past and acquired
an adequate library of useful information already.
>5. Yes, it's absolutely true that dig.imaging is like the Chinese proverb:
With respect to diluting the list and digital imaging being a large topic
that grows like topsy, you do not have to cover the total workflow. The
list could be a dedicated conduit to the topic of digital capturing of
imaging and restricted in its focus and scope to that portion of the
workflow so as to cover digital capturing processes utilizing scanners
and/or cameras. The processes used by scanners and cameras are very similar
with digital cameras being more like digital scanners that any other
hardware in the imaging workflow. Thus, there is probably some commonality
in issues and questions that come up with respect to the two.
>I'm wary of jumping in
>with a reinvention of epson_inkjet because that list required industrial
>scale servers and bandwidth to sustain its traffic levels.
Besides there already is an Epson Printers list on Yahoo Groups which has a
subscriber list larger than the old Leben Epson Inkjet list as well as
several specialty lists dedicated to black and white inkjet printing anD
Epson Wide Format Inkjets.
-----Original Message-----
From: filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:filmscanners_owner@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Tony Sleep
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 6:12 PM
To: laurie@advancenet.net
Subject: [filmscanners] List future
OK, here's how I see it.
1. This list, like all lists, has a natural lifespan. A bit like a sun
past-its-best-by-date, it's now becoming a red dwarf. It'll probably be a
black hole in 10 years.
2. It's still useful to have a dedicated reference forum in one place, for
as long as there are filmscanners around. Even if traffic is negligible, it
may be tomorrow that any of us needs the conduit to the expertise of
others.
3. It suits me fine that it's quiet, less admin, no bandwidth problems,
little cost:)
4. Lists tend to be most useful when precisely focussed and not polluted
with OT wibble and squabbles about OT wibble. Widening the scope of this
list would only dilute that utility and risk driving away those who don't
share precisely the same interests, thereby diluting the usefulness of this
list for its primary purpose. If lists aren't useful, people leave.
5. Yes, it's absolutely true that dig.imaging is like the Chinese proverb:
you lift one blade of grass and up comes the whole field. And it's huge. So
it's a struggle to keep any list within sensible bounds, as what starts out
as a question about funny colour can instantaneously explode in 15
different directions, ranging from film technology to lab standards, to
scanners, software, technique, monitors and calibration, colour management,
and print technologies, inksets, profiling yada yada.... Any one of those
single topics is a PhD level career for someone, and a busy list.
6. Given that I don't want to dilute this list, I am prepared to start one
or more others as well, so the community can potentially remain intact.
BUT: (a)not everybody who's in filmscanners will want to join a new list
(b)there is no point - and mutually destructive - to set up a new list
that replicates the interest area of another list that already exists. It's
far more useful to have know-how concentrated in one place.
7. So what areas are candidates for a new list(s)? I'm wary of jumping in
with a reinvention of epson_inkjet because that list required industrial
scale servers and bandwidth to sustain its traffic levels. It's not
surprising it died, the economics are ruinous.
Regards
Tony Sleep -
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