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Grex > Coop6 > #51: PDIAL - Questionnaire: Should Grex be included in the List? | |
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rcurl
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PDIAL - Questionnaire: Should Grex be included in the List?
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Dec 13 05:58 UTC 1994 |
We have been asked if we wish to be listed in the PDIAL list of
internet providers. A copy of an old list is in /u/rcurl/PDIAL.list
What we have been sent is an questionnaire, for those wishing to
be included. The complete questionnaire is in /u/rcurl/PDIAL.Q,
and the following is part of the introduction:
+++++++++++++++
The PDIAL (Public Dialup Internet Access List) is a freely
redistributable list of dialup Internet service providers,
published by Peter Kaminski of the Information Deli since
mid-1992 (although personal demands on my time prevented
updates from December '93 to December '94).
The PDIAL is distributed free of charge via email server,
anonymous FTP, USENET FAQ archives, and is also reprinted in
many general and special-purpose Internet starter books and
pamphlets.
Tens of thousands of people turn to the PDIAL to find Internet
services, and it's a great way for you and your potential
customers to find each other.
For earlier PDIALs, I just compiled short informational entries
for each service for which I had information, then published a
new edition when I had enough changes.
Now, however, I will be collecting more information about each
provider, and incrementally updating the PDIAL so customers will
always get the most current information. Information for the
various providers will be available at various levels of detail,
so customers will be able to get the maximum amount of useful
information for providers of interest to them, while avoiding
data that is not useful to them.
++++++++++++
The list is clearly directed toward commerical providers - but then,
they are the vast majority! If the information listed for Grex
identified us as a non-profit conferencing system, it appears to me
that the list would help local (Michigan) persons find us. The list
would not attract users from more distant places, because of its
organization. (Of course, it could be grepped for keywords, so we
would want to be careful about what we included.)
PDIAL.Q is long - 17KB! But, consider the matter, and say what you
think. I now favor our being listed, though I have not read the
questionnaire through. At least, I favor our filling it out and then
deciding whether how we can be listed will suit our purposes.
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| 9 responses total. |
cicero
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response 1 of 9:
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Dec 13 07:35 UTC 1994 |
I think there is a danger here of drawing a lot of people who are
looking for an internet provider (the kind that we arn't). I'm not sure
that it is enought to just state our purpose. I think we should be very
careful with this. We could end up with a lot of people very pissed off at
us for not being a free version of msen.
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srw
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response 2 of 9:
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Dec 13 08:03 UTC 1994 |
That's a concern, but what about the advantages it would offer of
attracting local people who are interested in a lowgrade internet service
(like what we have). We don't have trouble telling people that if they
want better service thay can go elsewhere and pay more bucks.
I'm not too worried about them getting annoyed.
My initial reaction was negative because of the commercial nature of the
list, but I am swayed by the fact that our non-commercial nature can be plainly
indicated there. I think we should answer the questionnaire.
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kentn
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response 3 of 9:
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Dec 13 20:49 UTC 1994 |
We seem to be doing quite well at attracting interesting people from
around the globe--to the extent that we can barely keep up with their
demands on the system. On the other hand, we are seeing a rapid
decline in member involvement (even as minimal as voting in a board
election). If our goal is to increase the number of "local" users,
then I think there are better ways than the pdial lists. What we need
are not only donations, but involved members (who are willing to take on
new projects, vote, run for the board, become staff, etc.) to help
with the growth of Grex. While the exposure the pdial list would give
us will help bring in donations, I quest whether it will help with our
other problems.
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srw
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response 4 of 9:
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Dec 14 04:53 UTC 1994 |
Just because the PDIAL list doesn't solve all our problems is not a
good reason to ignore it. I happen to agree that there are better ways
to get local people on, but that doesn't mean it's a bad way.
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steve
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response 5 of 9:
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Dec 14 05:12 UTC 1994 |
While I wouldn't mind our being listed in PDIAL, if their primary
focus is Internet providers, we're doing ourselves a dis-service I
think.
If they can specify that we aren't a provider then it makes sense.
What I'd really like to see would be our getting listed in more
things like "Yanoff's list". That single reference has gotten us
more than 1000 people.
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srw
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response 6 of 9:
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Dec 14 06:45 UTC 1994 |
I think we now have plenty of exposure in that direction.
I'd like to see more local people using the system.
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rcurl
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response 7 of 9:
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Dec 14 07:40 UTC 1994 |
Yanoff's list gets us users from outside the local area. PDIAL would
get us local users. There's a place for both. I think we should start
filling out the questionnaire, and see what we can state. Who would
like to volunteer?
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tsty
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response 8 of 9:
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Dec 14 19:02 UTC 1994 |
If PDIAL were a SE Michingan publication, it would provide local
perns with access information. We have plenty of publicity otherwise.
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popcorn
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response 9 of 9:
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Dec 15 15:56 UTC 1994 |
PDIAL is set up so that you're supposed to look through it for systems
with your own area code. The idea is that folks around the country are
supposed to use it to find local systems near them.
Re Yanoff's list: I keep meaning to enter an item to talk about
Yanoff's list, too. I saw it for the first time recently, and found
that Grex is listed primarily as a site where you can read Usenet news
for free. Also our info was woefully out of date -- for example it
said we were running on a Sun 2.
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