North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

On 12/19/2011 12:12 PM, mIEKAL aND wrote:
> I wondering what the reason was why this list was divorced from NAFEX?
>   I must have missed the discussions when this happened way back when.
> I really don't see why this listserve would be any different than
> having a Facebook page that anyone can join.
>
> ~mIEKAL
     I have been signed up for the Nafex Ibibliio list for some time, 
even though I was
     not a member of Nafex.  Although Nafex does not advertise it, they 
appear to
     accept all applicants.  I did notice a big uproar last August when 
Nafex people
     were complaining about the Nafex forum on their web page and not being
     sufficiently notified about it.  My impression is that a group of 
Nafex people
     decided to set up a forum on the web page and make it only 
accessible by
     members.  I re-joined Nafex recently, mainly to see what was going 
on with their
     web site.  I was not impressed by what I saw.  Firstly, there was 
very little
     posting activity, especially  when compared to the Ibiblio list.  
I did not like
     the way it was divided into about 6 subgroups forcing me to check 
each one
     individually for items of interest.  Also, their search function 
was very poor,
     not finding things I know were in their postings and taking too 
much time
     to do so.  I did not like having to sign on to view forum activity.


      When I contacted the Nafex membership person about the existence 
of two
      forums, I was told there was only one official forum, the one on 
their web
      page.  Seems like this small group of Nafex people took it upon 
themselves
      to ignore the Ibiblio list and make the forum on their web page 
for members
      only.  As the forum administrator for Midfex on Ibiblio, I am 
concerned about
      this for both Midfex and Nafex.  Midfex is just now considering 
such a move.
      I plan to keep the Midfex forum on Ibiblio going, no matter what, 
and I believe
      the Nafex administrator is planning a similar thing.  As Midfex 
moderator, I
      can control chit-chat and improper usage.  This is usually not 
done in a blog
      style forum now in place on Nafex's site.

       I do not consider a web page to be a good home for a forum.  It 
is good for
       chatting, but difficult to find items of interest.  I like the 
simplicity of the email
       system on Ibiblio where members are sent the postings as they 
come out and
       can easily reply to those emails.  I think closing off the Nafex 
technical discussion
       to members only is counter productive.  It will not generate 
more revenue for
       Nafex, and may in fact attract fewer new members to join.

        For more opinions, check the Nafex Archives on Ibiblio for 
August 2011.

                               Sherwin Dubren