Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!cs.utah.edu!thomson
From: thomson@cs.utah.edu (Rich Thomson)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Announcing Sci-Vi Newsletter
Message-ID: <1989Dec7.180902.3467@hellgate.utah.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 89 01:09:02 GMT
References: <11938@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <1989Dec5.140743.13739@hellgate.utah.edu> <11980@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Organization: Oasis Technologies
Lines: 76

Mark,
    You seemed to have missed my point.

In article <11980@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> markv@gauss.Princeton.EDU
    (Mark VandeWettering) writes:
>In article <1989Dec5.140743.13739@hellgate.utah.edu> I wrote:
>>I fail to see why you are creating a new newsletter when this topic is
>>already covered in the comp-vis mailing list.  If you wish to assimilate
>>all of comp-vis' subscribers, you are welcome to it, but two mailing lists
>>covering the same topic is not productive.

>Indeed, and I suppose that I should justify the creation of sci-vis news.

I don't really care whether you create it or not; it is simply pointless to
have two mailing lists on the same subject.  If you want to fold in
comp-vis into your newsletter, fine.  Just make a decision!  Currently
there about 250 lurkers on my mailing list (and every note on comp.graphics
about the subject adds a few more).

>1.	Most of the initial people who had expressed an interest had never
>	heard of the comp-vis mailing list.

Well, it is posted in news.lists every couple of weeks, right along with
all the other mailing lists.  As far as I know, this is the only standard
way of letting people know such a mailing lists exists.  I don't bother to
post announcements of its formation to comp.graphics, since a) there hasn't
been any submitted material for over a year, and b) when I formed the mailing
list over a year ago, I posted an announcement to comp.graphics.

>	For whatever reason, the existance
>	of such a mailing list seems to be a fact which is not well known.

Well, it is certainly known since you've been making noises about starting
another list!

>2.	I have certain specific goals:
>		o	creation of a sci-vi bibliography
>		o	ftp archive of software that may be redistributed
>		o	tell people of upcoming conferences that may be
>			interesting
>		o	foster discussion of sci-vi topics including hopefully
>			meaningful discussions of programming techniques 
>		o	allow researchers who need scientific visualziation
>			tools to meet other people who might have similar
>			interests.

All of those are fine goals, and nearly the same goals I had when forming
comp-vis.

>	I have requested that new members jot down a quick bibliography of 
>	their interests and work, and many have complied.

A good idea.

>3.	If indeed this newsgroup is doomed by lack of participation, I hope
>	to have proved several things.
>		1.	it was not from lack of advertising.
>		2.	it isn't from lack of interest.

I encourage you to advertise until people tell you to shut up, but I think
you will find that there will be many people interested in reading but few
with anything to say.  Perhaps your idea of bibliographies will get people
talking.  I hope so.

But, you seemed to have missed my whole point.  If you are so enthusiastic
about starting a sci-vis list, why not just fold the two lists into one
instead of forcing people to subscribe to both lists?  As I said in my last
message, if you wish comp-vis to mutate into something that is more attuned
to sci-vis, then fine.  But I still think its a stupid idea to have two
mailing lists that are nearly identical.

						    -- Rich
Rich Thomson	thomson@cs.utah.edu  {bellcore,hplabs,uunet}!utah-cs!thomson
"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with
us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain
too cheap, we esteem too lightly." Thomas Paine, _The Crisis_, Dec. 23rd, 1776