janet paterson wrote:
>
> At 12:06 PM 2000/04/12 -0400, Frans van Duinen <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> >What would be involved to get the list server to accept both PARKINSON and
> >PARKINSN as the name for this list.
> >I understand that once upon a time the same mindset that caused the Y2K bug
> >also limited list names to 8 characters (who'd need more than 8 characters
> for
> >a mailing list, naah), but does that limitation still exist. Does the
> >software provide for synonyms.
> >More importantly, without messing up existing list users, can we make it a
> bit
> >easier for new users (all of whom know how to spell Parkinson) to get to this
> >list.
> >Frans van Duinen
> > (416) 652-8580
> > Toronto, Ontario
>
> yikes
>
> you're probably asking the immoveable to do the impossible!
Quite possible. If the software does not already support it, game over. On
the other hand the situation may have existed elsewhere.
>
> L-SOFT the LISTSERV software manufacturer probably wouldn't mind changing a
> list's name
> but PARKINSON as a LISTSERV name is already taken by the spanish group
>
> see my links list - the mailing list one
>
I had not seen your mailing lists list - I will check it out
By the way, there is no naming conflict with the spanish list. They are names
in separate domains. Basically the "PARKINSN" bit is a email id within the
domain "LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA"
> why not tackle the problem [?] from the front end?
>
> are you concerned that people don't know about all the parkinson help now
> available on the wwweb?
> do you think that the senders of those unanswered questions are still waiting?
>
I doub that they are.. But that means the message board/list they used
has failed them...
> i would bet dollars to donuts that a newbie to computers and/or the wwweb
> who wants to find out about parkinson's disease
> would hop to the first search engine suggested to them
> [by friends, by their internet service provider, etc]
>
> so, if you do a search at the big search engines
> like yahoo or altavista or google
> for parkinson's disease
> what do you get?
>
> stand back!
> there's tons of info out there now
> and tons of sites with links to this and other lists
>
> the un-computerised people are the ones i get concerned about...
> but lots of our list-members are 'list-exploders'
> who pass on info to their own support groups
>
> just my two cents [cdn] worth
That's a bet I would not take (I agree with you), but that also keys in
on the problem. Any search that comes back with 10K worth of "hits" is
pretty useless.
What is needed is an illuminated arrow saying "Start Here"
Unfortunately what we have is 10,000 sites and 10,000 "Start Here" arrows.
In searching other areas I would begin with a search in DEJA to find out what
prople take about NOW, not what was left lying around on some large server
that is in need of housekeeping.
Unfortunately, mailing list messages dont show up in DEJA.
>
> janet
>
> janet paterson
> 53 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
> a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/
> 613 256 8340 PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario Canada K0A 1A0
--
Frans van Duinen
(416) 652-8580
Toronto, Ontario
