FAQ's, Lurkers, and unsubscribers

[adair_t@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz]

\When I first joined I was overwhelmed by the depth of knowledge that the
\regular participants displayed on Disney comics.  I was reluctant to
\post messages as I felt I had nothing to add to the topic at hand.
\After a while, though, I decided that if I wasn't going to participate I
\would rather not be here.  So I started posting messages even if my
\facts were shaky.  I know now that I will never achieve the depth of
\knowledge that the regulars have on the subject, but yet I want to ba an
\active participant in the list.

I joined this list because I am interested in all aspects of comicbooks and
comicstrips.  I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about Disney
Comics, but if one asks questions and listens, one can learn quite a lot.

\Now I would bet that the other lurkers out there have at least as much
\and, no doubt, more to contribute than I do, but for one reason or
\another choose not to participate.  Some just don't have the time, and
\others may not care to post messages.  I'll bet, though, that there are
\others who would like to participate but feel intimidated by the
\experts.  I would guess that eventually they just give up and ultimately
\join the ranks of the unsubscribed.

Some might just be bored about the content of this group.  I've subscribed to
many newsgroups, read them, then decided they weren't what I expected them to
be.  I am never intimidated by the experts, or else I wouldn't ask questions. 
The First Rule of Meeting Famous People is to realize that they are human
beings too, and that most celebrities like to meet people.  Just treat them
with respect.

\When I first started posting messages, I noticed that some regulars were
\rather quick to jump on me when I said something in error.  These same
\folks would basically ignore anything else I had to say.  So if you
\want a response, just bait your message with a few boo boo's.  (Bad
\breath is better than no breath...)

That's why this groups has such a high quality.  I know that no matter how
esoteric or stupid my question is (e.g. Scrooge's Net Worth), I'll get at least
one answer, and a usually accurate one at that.  It still boggles my mind how
much people know about Disney comics.

\Well, I've rambled on a bit, and I'm not sure where I'm going with this
\post.  I just think that this list is hard for that average Joe Lurker
\to break into;  maybe we need a "novice" message area--I know I could
\use it!

Every organization needs to seduce, er, RECRUIT new members, or else it tends
to collapse upon itself.  Thankfully, with new students joining the Internet
each year, we shouldn't have that problem.

Torsten Adair	adair_t at kosmos.wcc.govt.nz	Wellington, New Zealand