>On Tue, 22 Jul 1997, Andrea Gallagher wrote:
>> rated posts, and Robin has a token payment mechanism that would be fun to
>> try. The filtering system that we had back in '92 didn't satisfy me in the
>
>Allow me to remark that my suggestion about token payment was also
>proposed, which (I think) has some small differences from Robin's).
Ah, thank you. I knew there was another system I was forgetting. What
ever happened to that thread about improving list quality? Shall we revive
it?
>> P.S. Does Extropy limit list membership to dues-paying members? I would
>> expect that to limit the people here just to troll.
>
>This raises another axis of potential polarization: is the Extropians
>list for proselytization or is it a clubhouse?
I think it is largely intended as a clubhouse. Mailing lists are pretty
inefficient methods of proselytization, but they can be good venues for
current believers to keep in touch and keep up-to-date. The preaching and
introduction can then be left to the magazine, or to our individual contact
with Outsiders(tm).
>I don't happen to be a dues-paying member--if it would really improve the
>s/n, I'd be willing to consider that *and* a "freshness-dated token quota"
>scheme, together.
I was mostly curious, since someone had suggested Genen might be trolling
for flame responses, and the dues requirement would be evidence about the
likelihood of that. I agree with you that charging for admission would not
in and of itself be sufficient help for s/n.