Digital BW, The Print

I too find the new, intrusive, Yahoo advertising very irritating.  

If this list does gravitate to another place, make sure Yahoo 
understand why.  Some advertising is clearly necessary, but I think 
it has now gone way too far.  Maybe it is not too late to get Yahoo 
to change.
--
Quentin

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "tomoc" <tomoc@y...> wrote:
> HI everyone-
> 
> Thought I should give you all an update on my research on possible 
> new homes for the list/forum. 
> 
> The first thing I am finding out is that it is important to know if 
> we need to remain a "list" with web access or whether we want to 
> become a true forum, a web based community without the mailing 
list. 
> 
> I personally have always used the web, finding the email either 
> overwhelming (if individual emails) or confusing if digests (and 
not 
> too timely), but I see from many comments that a lot of us are 
email 
> list users. If this is to overcome the ad problem (as many have 
> indicated), some of the homes I've found may be 
suitable...if "list" 
> remeains important, there will only be one alternative.
> 
> My view is that the technolgoy of DPReview and RobGalbraith.com are 
> the best two platforms supporting content that is close enough to 
> ours to consider a "merger".
> 
> check them out, if you like:
> 
> http://www.robgalbraith.com/  (click on enter forums)
> http://www.dpreview.com/  (click on forums)
> 
> They both have a nice look and clean features that help you by 
> threading and summarizing, etc. DP Review responded that they just 
> wouldn't have time to transfer our archives. Rob Galbraith said the 
> archives would only be possible to transfer to his server if they 
> were importable to the Ultimat Bulletin Board infrastructure, which 
> he thought was unlikely.
> 
> I also checked with both the moderator and the membership of the 
> Nikon D1 Users Group forum, a self hosted forum. I think we could 
> work out a merger there...this is a terrific platform as well... 
but 
> it does not support the mailing list.
> 
> Check this one out: http://www.nikond1.net/
> 
> This left 2 alternatives that I am aware of. First would be to 
> establish a USENET news group and this is a real possiblity. Google 
> now has a very slick interface for newsgroup reading and 
responding. 
> It's not quite as customized as Yahoo groups, but its fast, its 
free 
> and there are no ads whatever.
> 
> See an example of this: http://groups.google.com/groups?
> hl=en&group=rec.photo.digital  (if this link doesn't work because 
> it's on two lines, go to google groups and enter rec.photo.digital 
in 
> the search box). 
> 
> Finally, a member of the Nikon D1 Users forum contacted me and 
> expressed and interest in helping us start one from scratch "I have 
> the server, the knowledge, and the connection. What I need is time 
to 
> manage it. If you want to co-host it, we could probably put this 
> together ourselves." 
> 
> I don't know if we have anyone here who has the time to step up and 
> manage a forum (I don't even know how much time it would take). I 
> assume this is not the case or we wouldn't be in Yahoo now???
> 
> There is one other option. It has been mentioned on the list. That 
> would be to pay Yahoo not to be in an ad environment. I haven't 
> checked out this cost. I would be willing to contribute to it, but 
> this is probably something that would be "safer" for the list to be 
> in some corporate hands. Maybe we should/could approach Epson or 
and 
> ink or paper manufacturer to buy sponsorships?
> 
> Well... looking forward to feedback and new direction... if any... 
> 
> Tom O'Connell
> TomOC@y...