[Milsurplus] New Groups: What a "Grate" Idea

[David Stinson]

Hue Miller wrote:
>...
> The only thing i can think, is that some people are hesitant to post
> minutiae about narrow topics, thinking that some irate grumpus
> will scream about "this thread has gone on too long", "waste of
> bandwidth" etc etc etc - all pure bullpoop, unless they're still using
> a Commodore 64 and cannot read the Subject line. Myself, i subscribe
> to a couple health-related lists that generate 10x the mail milsurplus,
> spy-radio, and No.19 set lists do, and i manage to delete the titles
> i don't care about, no problem....

Exactly. 
Some people are splintering off because of 
the complaints of a few malcontents.  
In any community, there are always a few immature "children" 
who think the list and everyone on it is their personal property.  
They complain "there's too many of this posts" or 
"you're wasting bandwidth"
(a truly stupid complaint- if you dumped the entire milsurplus archives
at once it would be like a drop in the ocean).  
The worst thing we can do is give them what they want by leaving.
Such childish people should be ignored until 
they either grow up or leave- either way is fine.

I can't tell you how many posts I simply
don't read.  I don't say anything because 
it ISN'T "MY" GROUP. It's a COMMUNITY.  
We do something nearly lost to modern man- we SHARE.  Imagine that!
You read what you like, I read what I like, and we all live happily.
Occasionally, I see something I didn't know I liked... and get involved.
Sometimes I need help, and a person not in "my area" will lend a hand.
That's the reward I get for being in a community.  Sharing and using
my "delete" key is a very small price to pay for such a reward.

This continual splintering into more and more specific groups
is harmful to us all.  I swear- I pull my hair out every time I 
hear someone else talk about taking their unique and valuable
knowledge away from the rest of us, to hide out in some little "club."
People can still have their specific-issue web sites,
but share there experiance and posts here, where we can all benefit.

I absolutely refuse to join any more mil-radio "splinter groups," 
nor will I read or post to them.
If I'm going to the effort to research and write about 
those things in "my area," I'm going to share them with
the wider community on the "big tent" mail reflectors
like milsurplus@mailman.qth.net and boatanchors@theporch.com,
and perhaps the usenet board.
D.S.