Cave-Surveying Digest, Vol 49, Issue 1

Graham Mullan graham.mullan at coly.org.uk
Thu Sep 28 14:12:54 BST 2023 

How many subscribers are there? Is it likely that new subscribers can be found?

Jeskynar asked what alternative places people use to talk about surveying and I think this is a key question. Email lists of this type are fairly poorly structured for ongoing discussions and archival searches and better alternatives are available. The problem is that any of the alternatives require the use of some proprietary software or 'walled garden' private services and I know that many of you have problems with that. I suspect that if that objection can be overcome then something like Discord might fulfil the brief rather better.

Graham

-----Original Message-----
From: Cave-Surveying <cave-surveying-bounces at survex.com> On Behalf Of cave-surveying-request at survex.com
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 12:00 PM
To: cave-surveying at survex.com
Subject: Cave-Surveying Digest, Vol 49, Issue 1

Send Cave-Surveying mailing list submissions to
	cave-surveying at survex.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	https://lists.survex.com/mailman/listinfo/cave-surveying
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
	cave-surveying-request at survex.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
	cave-surveying-owner at survex.com

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Cave-Surveying digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. Should I shut down this list? (Olly Betts)
   2. Re: Should I shut down this list? (Andrew Atkinson)
   3. Re: Should I shut down this list? (Jeskynar)
   4. Re: Should I shut down this list? (Mike Lake)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:09:45 +0100
From: Olly Betts <olly at survex.com>
To: cave-surveying at survex.com
Subject: Should I shut down this list?
Message-ID: <20230927230945.GH3507 at survex.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

It seems this list is no longer being actively used - the archives show only one message in the last two years, but it's been in decline for much longer:

* 2021 saw 2 threads (but one really belonged on the survex list)

* 2020 saw 5 threads (but two really belonged on the survex list)

* 2019 saw 4 threads (but one really belonged on the therion list)

* 2018 saw 1 message

* 2017 and 2016 saw no messages

So really very little use for a long time (and ~30% of the use it sees would have been better sent to a more specific list instead).

There's a small but non-zero admin effort to keeping the list running - messages from non-subscribers and subscription requests are held for checking and I have to periodically look over them and delete the vast majority as spam.  There seems to have been a significant uptick in subscription requests in the last month most of which look bogus, and this is making me wonder why I'm spending time on this.

So is it really worth me keeping this list active?

I know Wookey has mentioned wanting to use it more and has tried to encourage more people to subscribe, but that hasn't actually translated into people actually using it so seems to have been a failed idea.

Cheers,
    Olly



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:09:42 +0200
From: Andrew Atkinson <andrew at wotcc.org.uk>
To: cave-surveying at survex.com
Subject: Re: Should I shut down this list?
Message-ID: <C7E17D3E-5215-4988-A0E6-10627DEDE37E at wotcc.org.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

I tend to use the list to announce cave surveying group meetings and publish minutes. Both of which have not happened for the last few years due to there being no Hidden Earth.

It would be a shame not to have it, but it doesn't really look like there is much justification for keeping it

Andrew
-- 



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:20:03 +0100
From: Jeskynar <jeskynar at gmail.com>
To: cave-surveying at survex.com
Subject: Re: Should I shut down this list?
Message-ID:
	<CAJ8UCwW=KWVsdh+gAPYQYStGP4EX_gJfDc5uej2KYGG9OYNZHA at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

What's the alternative place where people talk about cave surveying?

On Thu, 28 Sept 2023 at 00:10, Olly Betts <olly at survex.com> wrote:

> It seems this list is no longer being actively used - the archives 
> show only one message in the last two years, but it's been in decline 
> for much longer:
>
> * 2021 saw 2 threads (but one really belonged on the survex list)
>
> * 2020 saw 5 threads (but two really belonged on the survex list)
>
> * 2019 saw 4 threads (but one really belonged on the therion list)
>
> * 2018 saw 1 message
>
> * 2017 and 2016 saw no messages
>
> So really very little use for a long time (and ~30% of the use it sees 
> would have been better sent to a more specific list instead).
>
> There's a small but non-zero admin effort to keeping the list running 
> - messages from non-subscribers and subscription requests are held for 
> checking and I have to periodically look over them and delete the vast 
> majority as spam.  There seems to have been a significant uptick in 
> subscription requests in the last month most of which look bogus, and 
> this is making me wonder why I'm spending time on this.
>
> So is it really worth me keeping this list active?
>
> I know Wookey has mentioned wanting to use it more and has tried to 
> encourage more people to subscribe, but that hasn't actually 
> translated into people actually using it so seems to have been a 
> failed idea.
>
> Cheers,
>     Olly
>
> --
> Cave-Surveying 
> https://lists.survex.com/mailman/listinfo/cave-surveying
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.survex.com/pipermail/cave-surveying/attachments/20230928/73d6d566/attachment-0001.htm>

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 20:25:55 +1000
From: Mike Lake <mikel at speleonics.com.au>
To: cave-surveying at survex.com
Subject: Re: Should I shut down this list?
Message-ID: <e875b4ef8fc765cdba226c8744d6cb0d at speleonics.com.au>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Hi Olly

I read the list and yes, I have not seen much on it at all.
I can understand your wish to not maintain it. It does take time.
I gather the alternative would a 3rd party hosted, web based one. A shame as I prefer plain email, but I do understand that the email volume here does not justify the work involved.
A shame but I won't winge if you shut it down.

Best wishes
Mike

On 2023-09-28 9:09 am, Olly Betts wrote:
> It seems this list is no longer being actively used - the archives 
> show only one message in the last two years, but it's been in decline 
> for much longer:
> 
> * 2021 saw 2 threads (but one really belonged on the survex list)
> 
> * 2020 saw 5 threads (but two really belonged on the survex list)
> 
> * 2019 saw 4 threads (but one really belonged on the therion list)
> 
> * 2018 saw 1 message
> 
> * 2017 and 2016 saw no messages
> 
> So really very little use for a long time (and ~30% of the use it sees 
> would have been better sent to a more specific list instead).
> 
> There's a small but non-zero admin effort to keeping the list running 
> - messages from non-subscribers and subscription requests are held for 
> checking and I have to periodically look over them and delete the vast 
> majority as spam.  There seems to have been a significant uptick in 
> subscription requests in the last month most of which look bogus, and 
> this is making me wonder why I'm spending time on this.
> 
> So is it really worth me keeping this list active?
> 
> I know Wookey has mentioned wanting to use it more and has tried to 
> encourage more people to subscribe, but that hasn't actually 
> translated into people actually using it so seems to have been a 
> failed idea.
> 
> Cheers,
>     Olly

--
Mike



------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer

-- 
Cave-Surveying https://lists.survex.com/mailman/listinfo/cave-surveying


------------------------------

End of Cave-Surveying Digest, Vol 49, Issue 1
*********************************************

More information about the Cave-Surveying mailing list