Subj : NHL Echo
To   : Michael Grant
From : Ross Cassell
Date : Fri Oct 24 2008 09:18 am

Hello Michael!

23 Oct 08 13:52, you wrote to me:

MG> about. Will I need to re-request that it be carried every October?

MG> In the CANPOL echo. which was apparantly dropped, the inactivity gap
MG> was 10 months. What exactly is your cutoff? Is it 1 year, or is it
MG> shorter than that?

It was a generalization in reference to the bulk of the echoes in BACKBONE.DST.

Many of which actually went beyond 1, 2 or more years of any or meaningful
activity. Some actually dealt with now defunct TV shows or other genre.
(By meaningful traffic, I mean traffic that relates to the echo, like topical
posts, moderator postings of rules or echo updates.. Knock Knock messages I
ignore unless someone responded, mostly unmeaningful traffic I have seen
consisted what would be analagous to spam)

I try to do a full backbone review every 6 months, but it is not a hard and
fast set in stone timeline.

Here is the process..

I look at the echoes in BACKBONE.NA and check for traffic, if none or mostly
them spam squatting messages, I will them remove the echo from BACKBONE.NA and
then flag it to be placed in BACKBONE.NO, the echo is still is still
distributable at this point.

Then I look at the existing BACKBONE.NO (as it was before review of
BACKBONE.NA), I check those echoes for traffic. If a echo regained traffic, it
will get flagged to be moved back to BACKBONE.NA, else it will then be flagged
to be moved to BACKBONE.DST.

I then make the physical moves between the 3 text files and publish them.

Echoes listed in BACKBONE.NO are still distributable, they are just listed
separately, those systems wishing to have mostly or fully active echoes can
more accurately rely on BACKBONE.NA.

Echoes listed in BACKBONE.DST are removed from distribution, but you will note
that this deviates from the past by keeping them rostered.

This system deviates from the past practices by not using the echolist as a
means to justify the removal of an echo because a listing lapsed or insist on
minimum message counts.

Getting an echo out of BACKBONE.DST is as simple as making a request to do so,
as was done with CANPOL and now NHL.

What I would suggest for you is to in the NHL off season, post stats and news
of teams personnel moves, trades and drafts, which teams are on the up and up
etc, in addition to maybe an automated monthly post to outline the echoes
purpose and decorum.

As for CANPOL...

I realize Canadian politics isnt as mucky as it is down here, but you probably
have politicians doing smart or stupid stuff year round, regardless if there is
a National or Provincial election taking place? Report on that..

==
Ross
Fidonet Feeds Or Fidonet In Your Newsreader: http://www.easternstar.info
E-mail: ross(at)cassell(dot)us | Blogs/Other Places: http://links.cassell.us
... President Obama will teach all of us on how to be on welfare.
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* Origin: The Eastern Star - Spartanburg, SC USA (1:123/456)