Re: Last Apple2 Newsgroup?

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Joe Seeley writes ...
> 
> ....  Looking down the list of all the apple2 newsgroups (out of
> 20,000+ my feed gets) this is the only one that appears active.  I know
> marketplace has stuff from time to time but it has been empty recently.
>

    'Marketplace was badly damaged about a year ago when it was the
setting for a multi-week (maybe longer) spam-fest related to, I think,
some kind of theft at a computer store. That, at least, is when I zapped
it from my active newsgroups list. Specialty sub-groups like
'marketplace should be moderated.

     The only way for 'marketplace to recover is for people to use it.
My suggestion is that, if a user feels it is necessary to post a
buy/sell ad to csa2 itself, then also do a cross-post to
comp.sys.apple2.marketplace. Eventually, readers will decide that
'marketplace is, once more, a good place to go for buying and selling
Apple II stuff and buy/sell posts to csa2 will cease.  

 
> The reason I posted this is because someone a couple weeks, very foolishly
> thinking they could get some help from their Apple brethen, asked a question
> related to running the Apple ][ via an emulator.  He of course was not given
> aid and instead was summarily blown off and told to go to the
> comp.emulators.apple2 where (to paraphrase the idiot) the "conversation is
> just hopping about emulators".  Guess what?  This newsgroup is it boys and
> girls (???).  And it is dying quickly.  A far cry from when I first started
> browsing it.
>

     Yes; there is no question but that csa2 has too many low-hit
sub-groups. Usergroups, comm, and emmulator are three which should be
decertified and the discussions moved to csa2.

     It's too bad the poster did not get more help with the GS emmulator
question. A referral to the emmulator sub-group seems to make sense,
which is, probably, why everyone here assumed the questioner would get
the needed help. Now, you have pointed out that the sub-group is not as
active as one might wish.


 
> As a rule I lurk, but have come out in the recent past because I see the
> handwriting on the wall and know that if I wait, there's not going to be
> anybody left to read my postings (or to read postings of).
>

     It's good that you de-lurked! I've always kind of wondered why
lurkers do not de-lurk more often and post. Practically every user has
something to add-- some additional bit of information, an opinion, ... .
Nor is it so terrible to make mistakes. Everyone who tries to answer
questions here on a regular basis makes mistakes. 


 
> The reason for the downfall for the remnant II community?  Jackasses who are
> rude to everyone and bicker and fight about petty and inconsequential things
> until they run this newsgroup and the a2 community in general into the ground.

     That is a problem. Still, it is the price we pay for free speech.
As more non-jackasses de-lurk to post questions, supply useful info,
present opinions, etc., things will improve. As for the jackasses, they
sometimes post useful information. After all, two motivations toward
jackasshood is having a bit of knowledge and believing that you are
incredibly smarter than everyone else.



>  It certainly isn't due to lack of advancement in technology.  If this were
> the case, then you wouldn't have any explanation of the continued fervor and
> downright flourishing of the C64 and Amiga communities.
>

     This is nice to hear. We have much in common with C-64/128 users
and, as you observe, our technology is just as good, maybe better.


 
> Finally, to those who say, "Oh, go to Delphi we have great stuff going on
> there!"  Guess what?  That doesn't help 98% of the people remaining in the A2
> community (the people you are supposedly trying to target or support).  This
> is the age of the internet like it or not and Delphi simply is a laughable
> excuse for a global meeting place (how many a2 members does it have anyway?
> How many period?).  If you really want to do some good, you would take over
> this newsgroup again and make it your main meeting place.
>

     Good point. The way to make this newsgroup better is to de-lurk and
post.

     As you note, Delphi is no substitute for csa2. Attempts by a few
trouble makers to wreck csa2 and send everyone to Delphi have flopped
(as illustrated by the fact that Delphi members continue to post on
csa2).

     Possibly you know that Dr. Tom is among the most creative and
productive originators of Apple II projects. His recently concluded,
successful effort to move A2 stuff from AOL to ground is just one
example. (It took a _lot_ of his time as did the efforts to reclassify
popular copyrighted A2 wares for public domain availability to all II
users.)  Yet, when Dr. Tom tried to engage in discussions in a Delphi
chatroom, those present all left. Such behavior is unkind, stupid, and
childish.

     In short, the actions of some Delphi members make Delphi look bad,
a haven for snobs and their bootlickers. On the other hand, Delphi is an
Apple II resource; and, you must admit, there are precious few of those
on the net. Perhaps, just as more participation will help csa2, it would
not be so bad if more csa members checked out Delphi and joined.   


 
> I think everything said here will just be pounced on negatively and the
> downward spiral which has been going on for a couple years will continue unto
> utter oblivion.  So it goes.  Personally I'll get by on my PC and look forward
> to learning the new world of NT 5.0 (you will be assimulated).  In my very
> limited and imperfect manner I have attempted a wake up call, feeling morally
> obliged to do so, no matter how futile it appears.
>

     Not so futile. What you said needed to be said. By the way, welcome
back to csa2!


Rubywand