Allen,

Thanks for taking the time to read my response and to create your own.

I said:
> The biggest problem is that newbies don't have any idea where to
> post their question.  They post it to a forum that's got low traffic
> and they get frustrated.

You said:
>I disagree that this is the biggest problem.  The problem you describe
>is a problem rooted in ignorance, whose unpleasant impact is felt by
>the ignorant requestor.  

It doesn't look like you've blindly looked for this mailing list lately.
Consider a first time poster.  I start at Google and search on "TSM
mailing list"  The first two links are for adsm.org.  adsm.org has an
ADSM-L mailing list ARCHIVE, but no mention on how to join the list.
The fifth link (with only a few weeks in existence) was my forum linking
to the TSM list.  On my site, I show you how to subscribe to the mailing
list or forum.  If I search on ADSM-L, I get taken all over the place,
including back to the IBM website where they have their own forums, a
mention of this list, but no instructions on how to get into it.

So we look at Wikipedia.  I see a link on Wikipedia to the ADSM.org
site, which SAYS it's known for the ADSM-L mailing list.  I've already
discussed that problem.  There's references to some of the archives, and
a reference to RSS feeds, but no reference on the good ol' email
interface.  How do I join this thing, and is it the thing I want to
join?  Most links seem to point to adsm.org, which is NOT this list and
isn't connected to this list.

>This is undesirable, but often unavoidable.

All I'm saying is that I didn't want to add to the confusion by adding
another forum that wasn't connected to one of the other methods of
communication.  That's why I wanted to connect the two.

I said:

> On any given day, I'd say about 5% of the postings on the list are
> coming from the forum, and most of them are actually ANSWERS, not
> "flyby" newbie questions that some were worried about.

You said:
>OK.  That looks like a well reasoned counterclaim.  I'm Really-really
>sceptical, and the first obvious example sure looks like it
>contradicts your claim, but what the heck.

Ah, but that's not the case!  In the very short time that the mailing
list and forum have been connected, 41 messages have gone to the mailing
list from forum users, and you haven't even noticed.  And the first
incident of SPAM (which can happen on any list) was caught and dealt
with promptly.

You said:
>So here's a suggestion: You moderate incoming messages, and then
>report back in, say, a year or so, about how many you had to weed out?

I'm on it!

I said:
> I'd hate to see TSM listed as the only product that won't allow it.

>Heh.  So did you deliberately type that in-character as the Godfather?

That's HILARIOUS!  I was watching The Godfather for the first time in a
few years and was typing this as I watched it!

What actually happened is it appeared that the email address I was using
for the forum had already been locked out before we even got a chance to
discuss it.  Turns out that was just a mixup.

>I'd hate for you to go out of your way to say something unpleasant
>about TSM too.  

I wouldn't say anything "unpleasant."  I was merely saying that if this
mailing list will only let me archive and not post, I'll have to put a
sticky to that effect on the forum so people don't post in the wrong
place.  I'll let them know it's a read only forum due to the request of
the ADSM-L mailing list.  I wouldn't put a negative spin on it; I would
just notify them of the fact.  BUT IT'S MY JOB TO DO WHAT I CAN TO MAKE
SURE THIS LIST IS HAPPY WITH WHAT I'M DOING SO THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO
HAPPEN.

>Especially when you're confusing the official
>imprimatur of IBM with the evolving opinion of exactly the community
>you're trying to attract.

I had to look up imprimatur. ;)  I don't think I'm doing that, and am
not sure what I wrote to make you think that.

>Wow.  I'm amazed at how much less charitable I feel towards your
>efforts after reading that last bit.

Well, thanks for sending the rest of what you said.  And for being
honest about how that made you feel.  I'm an honest and blunt person
myself.

It was a poor choice of words from a very tired guy who felt he had been
booted off the list with no chance to even describe what he was up to.
Please forgive.  I'm a nice guy just trying to help and I thought I'd
been kicked out of the party already.

I'll be keeping a close eye and we'll see how it goes, OK?