Re: A86: Suggestions for improving the mailing list

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Re: A86: Suggestions for improving the mailing list


I recently got a loaner HP48G and joined comp.sys.hp48.  The HP48 is like 10
years older than the TI-86 and this newsgroup is still completely on track.  I'm
not sure if that is because it is moderated more, but nearly everything about
that calculator has been discovered long ago.  My point is, just because a
calculator is a year old doesn't mean that a discussion group or mailing list
about it can't have substance.  On that NG, they talk about programming
techniques, post programs (for use in other programs, or whatever), and lots of
other stuff, but it all pertains to the HP48.

Anyway, enough about that.  I, too, have lately been very discouraged about this
list.  Whereas I used to check it every day, lately, I have waited for it to
build up and just ended up deleting much of it twice a week.

Something that I think deserves a lot more discussion that it is getting lately
is the sqrt programs.  There is still a lot that we don't know about these.  It
would be nice if this could become (again) a good platform from which to conduct
"research" about the TI-86 ROM.  Let me remind you all that we know what, maybe
a quarter of the calls on page D?  And we know next to nothing about how the
calculator works when an assembly program is not being executed.  I think a goal
for all of us should be to attempt to map out what the calculator does (even
generally, because i know it is a LOT of individual commands) during normal
operation.  This would greatly assist anyone trying to "hack" various aspects of
it.

Hopefully, this new talk of fixing this list will suffice to improve it, but
maybe we need to do more.  Possibilities could be making it into a newsgroup, or
adding better moderation?  I am not very knowledgable in the area of mailing
lists, but there has got to be a better way than just having one person block
out responses to certain posts.

Finally, I just hope that it is not too late for the "TI-86 gurus" that we all
look up to to return to this list.

Matt2000 wrote:

> Ahh! We don't need this. I used to help contribute to these meaningless
> threads until I realized how much time and space
> I was wasting.. We dont need this! Many of the good programmers are no
> longer on this mailing list... .maybe because there is just really no more
> questions to be asked... and people just reply to meaningless stuff. I mean,
> XC1701 II. No one talks about the actual smooth scrolling of the game or the
> techniques used. No one cares. People care more about how many times to
> press the ON key. It is pretty ridiculous. I also find myself wasting a lot
> of time replying to this mailing list. I am thinking about signing off too,
> and just having people E-mail me there suggestions for sections
> (documenation/tutorials) that they wish me to add to my web site. In three
> months, before the TI-89, my web site will be the largest TI asm site out
> there.. no doubt about it. Many people ask questions for help on this list
> but if there isnt a quick answer then no one replies. Maybe they dont have
> the time.. I know I dont have the time to help people, because they post 100
> line code with "What is wrong with this?". I guess some people are quick to
> notice errors, but a little explanation would help. People are afraid to
> take the time to write detailed messages.
>
> What we need is a stricter mailing list filter system. Unless an assembly
> question or technique is discussed or used, then it should not be posted.
> Once I made the mistake of posting something off comment and the thread got
> unusually large, and I thought "What have I done?" No. It isnt right. And
> then we have a spammer that takes up an additional ten messages for the
> thread he caused.
>
> Mailing lists are great when a calculator first comes out. But once 90% of
> the calc info has been discovered and well documented, I guess the mailing
> list quality dies down. I dont want to make any accusations, but I guess
> that over a 1/4 of the people on this list cant program asm or anything
> above a "Hello World" program.. Eeek!! Oh well
>
> Later,
>     Matt
>
> >I have been with this list for quite some time. It used to be a valuable
> >source of information. When I got the hang of ASM for the 86, I thought
> >I'd stay on the list to help the people who needed help. Recently,
> >however, the list has been inundated with threads completely irrelevant
> >to the TI-86. I find that the only thing I use the list for is posting
> >programs, because of its convenience. Otherwise it just clogs my mailbox
> >with a bunch of useless garbage. Therefore I am unsubscribing from the
> >list. If you have a question that you want to ask me, e-mail me at the
> >address below.



--
Stephen Hicks
mailto:shicks@mindspring.com
ICQ:5453914
IRC/AIM:Kupopo
Hopemage:http://www.mindspring.com/~shicks/
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