> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: ...I am reminded of Sonia and Bill
> Florian, former owners of WNIB Radio Station in Chicago. Sonia ran
> the station for 45 years, started it from almost nothing in the late
> 1950's. But, she pointed out in her last year as owner, "I am now 70
> years old. I will not be around forever. What will happen to my
> 'baby' (the station) when I am gone? Better there should be an
> orderly transition now, and she sold it for _considerably_ more than
> had been invested in it over the Florian family's nearly
> half-century of ownership." That would really be amazing if someone
> offered to buy the Digest/web URL from me.
I am as happy as anyone to still find you looking down at the grass,
which is the important thing. I have followed the Digest or its Usenet
echo since JSOL was moderator.
I don't, however, think the moderation of a mailing list is property
that can be sold. I doubt you bought it from JSOL or have a deed of
gift. I do believe you own the web site. If you sold the web site, it
would make a mess not to include a transference of the moderation, so
maybe it doesn't much matter.
Perhaps you could get the Telephone Pioneers interested in taking over
the operation. That would give it a pseudo immortality. TD is the
Internet autobiography of telecom after all.
But hang around a few more years. We need you and your remembrances.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, maybe a mailing list is property
which can be sold, or maybe it is not ... I do know that several years
ago -- when a company called 'TOPICA' was quite active (remember them,
anyone?) Topica management offered me one dollar per each name on my
mailing list (as they did for many Usenet moderators) with the
admonition in mind, "we do not need to tell anyone on the net this is
what we are doing, and we will continue to have you moderate the
thing." I mean, how sneaky can you get? All I had to do was supply
them with a list of names/emails, put them in charge of the
add/removes to the list, etc; they could have cared less about the
content. No one would have even noticed the extra spam generated as a
result of Topica's participation.
On the other hand, I would like to find someone who is willing and
will commit to maintaining the Digest and newsgroup in the style I
have established, take care of the archives, or improve on their
filing, and in geneal work with the same zeal I have shown here. How
that person wishes to treat me with respect or consideration for my
efforts over the years will be negotiated. And it will not be
something which gets snuck past: if and when any argreement is ever
reached, every reader here will receive an annncement saying "person X
is designated, as of date Z I am out of here, goodbye and thank you."
Then others can do as they please. No back door sneaking around
as Topica and certain other spammers would prefer. I would hope if
the day ever comes when I am no longer the moderator here I will still
be welcome to continue posting; but that would be the new editor/
publisher's choice at that point. As Sonia Florian said when WNIB was
sold, "I wish they had decided to continue on with classical music; it
always was a great format for me, but how can I tell others what to do
with their newly purchased property?". PAT
John McHarry (jmcharry@comcast.net)