Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Alliance - Should e-mail list be turned back on?

[dkim68]

The purpose of this poll is to see if members of the Ron Paul 2008 Meetup Alliance would like the e-mail feature to be turned back on. (Hi Avery!)

I just joined the alliance and was surprised to find that e-mailing functions have been turned off. I believe this is a potentially very powerful communication tool that should be used to share information between all Ron Paul Meetup groups around the world, thus unifying them into a single powerful alliance. Isn't that the point? With the e-mail functions shut off it becomes nothing more than a list of who's who in the Alliance which serves no useful purpose.

All of us have the ability to enable filters on our end to block e-mails from the Alliance if we so choose. But to turn the feature off completely I feel seriously cripples the concept of open communication that is a vitally important aspect of an alliance.

Do you think the e-mail list should be turned back on?

 

[greves]

If you use gmail just filter it all to a new label and out of the inbox. Check it once a day.

 

[btwilli1]

I sent an e-mail to the Alliance guy to see if he would pass my message along to the other meet-ups. How long does it usually take them to respond?

 

[aknappjr]

Back from NH with the NYC crew of 60. Some are still up there.

90% of emails that we get get filtered. If you want 315 of the (already-busy) organizers to read a message, make it short, concise, powerful, and a strong message.

I tried leaving it on but that was 100% unacceptable (30 emails a day...90% junk) to the overwhelming majority of the organizers.
I turned it off and filtered it too heavily but I got complaints for that too, so now we're going to be more reasonable and send a few a week.

The problem with leaving it on is that people leave the Alliance.

Its a preliminary version (full version to be launched in the Spring I'm told).

 

[RPinSEAZ]

The lack of common sense on the part of the people sending the emails was astounding. People don't want a bunch of crap sent to them every day. The important emails get lost in a flood of BS. Personally I'm glad it was turned off, that way only truly important message get through and don't get auto-deleted by people tired of the spam.

 

[dkim68]

Back from NH with the NYC crew of 60. Some are still up there.

90% of emails that we get get filtered. If you want 315 of the (already-busy) organizers to read a message, make it short, concise, powerful, and a strong message.

I tried leaving it on but that was 100% unacceptable (30 emails a day...90% junk) to the overwhelming majority of the organizers.
I turned it off and filtered it too heavily but I got complaints for that too, so now we're going to be more reasonable and send a few a week.

The problem with leaving it on is that people leave the Alliance.

Its a preliminary version (full version to be launched in the Spring I'm told).

Can you please describe how the filters are set? Prior to posting this poll I sent you a message and never heard back from you. I don't understand why people would leave the Alliance altogether when all they have to do is set filters at their end to solve the problem. Couldn't you suggest this to all organizers? To me the Alliance is working like an ignore list in reverse. None of us are being heard because you've set us all on mass ignore... even between each other. You're heading this Alliance but I strongly disagree with how you're running it. If you were receiving 30 e-mails a day and 90% of it was junk all you had to do was set up filters in Outlook Express or whatever you're using, not shut off communication for the entire Alliance. If the spam bothers you that much then someone else should be put in charge that can tolerate it. I think you're doing the Alliance a great disservice. For the good of the Ron Paul supporters wanting a true Alliance... please consider stepping down. Sorry, but that's just how I feel.

 

[aknappjr]

Can you please describe how the filters are set? Prior to posting this poll I sent you a message and never heard back from you. I don't understand why people would leave the Alliance altogether when all they have to do is set filters at their end to solve the problem. Couldn't you suggest this to all organizers? To me the Alliance is working like an ignore list in reverse. None of us are being heard because you've set us all on mass ignore... even between each other. You're heading this Alliance but I strongly disagree with how you're running it. If you were receiving 30 e-mails a day and 90% of it was junk all you had to do was set up filters in Outlook Express or whatever you're using, not shut off communication for the entire Alliance. If the spam bothers you that much then someone else should be put in charge that can tolerate it. I think you're doing the Alliance a great disservice. For the good of the Ron Paul supporters wanting a true Alliance... please consider stepping down. Sorry, but that's just how I feel.

315 busy organizers aren't going to spend the time to set up filters for Outlook.

I'd love to have a separate forum on meetupalliance but thats not possible as the API is read-only. Its limited functionality and the only real use is the mailing list. I personally don't mind the endless spam or even sorting through it. But I'm not going to render it useless by making the same mistake we started with (no filter).

Basically the email list is turned off. If someone wants to say something of value, they email a special email address and then we ask them to make it succinct and possibly send it out. You'll be receiving more, but unfortunately there's no give-and-take (which I would like and is kind of the point of the alliance). Perhaps you could make a special RonPaulForums for organizers that we could encourage the organizers to join. Let me know what we can do...unfortunately all I see is compromises.

 

[dkim68]

Its limited functionality and the only real use is the mailing list.

That's what I'm saying. Let's use the mailing list.

I personally don't mind the endless spam or even sorting through it. But I'm not going to render it useless by making the same mistake we started with (no filter).

Dude, you got it backwards. It's useless WITH the filter.

Basically the email list is turned off. If someone wants to say something of value, they email a special email address and then we ask them to make it succinct and possibly send it out.

This is what you've been vague about. I recognize spam as an e-mail from "The Bank of Nigeria". So what constitutes a message of value? And are those screened by a human? or a software filter?

Perhaps you could make a special RonPaulForums for organizers that we could encourage the organizers to join. Let me know what we can do...unfortunately all I see is compromises.

No Avery, the point is to utilize the existing Meetup.com network. I hope you come to your senses and see you're putting your foot down on the wrong side of the line here.

 

[dkim68]

that way only truly important message get through and don't get auto-deleted by people tired of the spam.

And since the turn off there's been like one message that's gotten through from all the meetup groups. What an alliance.

 

[dkim68]

Avery, are you going to budge on this at all?

 

[dkim68]

How about this, Avery? You notify all the organizers that you are tenatively turning e-mail back on. If the messages are good and informative, leave it on. The moment it turns into SPAM-FEST 2008 we shut it off again and I promise to shut up about it for good. How's that sound?

 

[free.alive]

Just imagine, tens of thousands of pointless emails on the same pointless videos and negging smearbund articles per day, whether in your inbox or filter.

This idea goes the way of the massive Federal Govt., or multi-naitonal corporation - too large an organization to be effective. If you want ideas to spread, get your organizer to join the national organizer meetup!

 

[deedles]

So let me get this straight: there is no email for the meetup alliance so no one can talk to each other because there also isn't a message board to use, correct?

So basically communication is impossible?

yes or no works for me.

how long has the email been shut off?

 

[dkim68]

Avery, can't you see this is important to people? You're at the controls, buddy. Please do what's right.

 

[dkim68]

Avery, come back. We need you.