hello all [again]
john cottingham, lolling on the ozzie gold coast, informed us recently:
>The archives are not searchable anymore using the tools I used to post
>regularly. Since the Listserv changed versions of the program they use to
>package and deliver the parkinsn list and others, searchable archives
>became a thing of the past...
>A friend and I created a program that let me perform the same service on my
>machine in Oklahoma City. I weekly downloaded the logs and compiled it into
>a database, from which I performed manual searches from requests....
>I have been considering abandoning the archive, since it has been a 'labor
>of love' and it is very labor intensive but will make that decision later.
>The latest version of Listserv supports the archive again....BUT, evidently
>the University of Toronto doesn't wish to convert...since it takes money
>and schools of higher education are always short of it....
>Probably, the Current Topics list will be revised and I will focus my
>attention to that and the Drug Database.
this message from john almost slipped past me
and i'm mighty glad it didn't
the archives are so important and so unique to this cyber-family
that, in my humble opinion, loss of the search capability
would be tantamount to a crime and a tragic waste of resources
as a demo of simon coles' 'James' archive site's searchability
i remembered a phrase i used in a post i sent in two years ago:
so i did a search on "planting a seed" and lo and behold:
[the date is still a bit off - but the message is there]
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Date: 07/08/97 15:11 [actually feb 1996]
From: <Janet Paterson >
Subject: Re: Speaking our minds here
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Hello All;
The most obvious benefit of this list, is the personal communication
that takes place between listmembers.
However, in the long term, the other benefit - the Archives - may
prove to be equally or possibly even more valuable.
Since every message ever posted to the list is stored permanently in
the archives, we have access to perhaps the most comprehensive
one-stop-shop of Parkie information in the world. Accessible for
searching by virtually anyone.
As this resource keeps growing, who knows what correlation or 'eureka'
coincidence might be noticed by a future searcher, whether in 6 weeks,
6 months, or 6 years.
Posting a message to this list is like planting a seed.
Janet
from the garden in the ocean
Janet Paterson - 48 - 7 - [log in to unmask] - Bermuda
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i feel even more strongly about this resource now
and am extremely concerned about the future status of its searchability
john cottingham has done an incredible amount of work
and so has simon coles
and of course we owe the university of toronto a thank you
for allowing us to 'live' there
whether the search 'engine' is part of the u. of t. software
or whether it's housed elsewhere
it's viability is critical to all of us
viz something simple like emma bennion's inquiry re hormones,
or maybe someone idly nerdling, thinking 'hmmmm - what if...?...'
and coming up with a brand new lead to the 'big C'
the recent discussion about surveys and frozen shoulders
could have benefitted from a search of the archives....
and on... and on....
we have built up a database of every single message posted to this list
since barb patterson started it in nov 1993
let's figure out how to make the best possible use of it
somehow...
your cyber sister in digging
janet
janet paterson - 50/9 - sinemet/selegiline/prozac - [log in to unmask]
