hkhenson@rogers...
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virus: Meta--on keeping list traffic interesting
« on: 2004-06-18 09:13:58 » |
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I have been thinking about this for years.
Interesting traffic on a list is an "edge of chaos" problem, critically dependant on "gain." List traffic consist of original postings and replies. Over time and for a particular thread "gain" goes below one and the thread dies so there is a requirement for original "seed" postings.
Continued (non abusive) exchanges among a relatively small number of people (~10) are often the most interesting.
"Interesting" is a difficult metric. You can't measure it from responses because saying something really stupid will get a lot of responses.
There are limits on how much posting traffic a list can have before people just delete it or sign off.
The material is there on Usenet and elsewhere for some studies of the metrics of posting. (Any PERL programmers in the audience?)
I have noticed that my postings get relatively few responses and often end a thread or a branch of a thread. But I know from other feedback paths that people do read what I write.
Comments?
Keith Henson
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