Re: MUG Online Chats?
Re: MUG Online Chats?
- Subject: Re: MUG Online Chats?
- From: Paul Richards <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 22:42:13 -0400
On Oct 14, 2004, at 8:19 PM, Jim Foster wrote:
Hi All!
I am curious to hear the opinions of other MUG leaders relative to
what I perceive to be a rather low participation rate in the two
monthly MUG-targeted Online Chats which are held over on the World
Without Borders web site.
It is not just the ratio that is off. The TOTAL participation seems
low when I compare it to the large number of highly dedicated and
enthusiastic MUG Execs which I run into at Macworld Expos or which I
see contributing to this very AUGD mail list. So I wonder why the
participation rate seems low in this area when I know it's certainly
not for lack of enthusiasm about the subject of MUG's and their
issues.
I have some ideas why participation in online chats may be lower,
which I can list below. Maybe some of you could chime in and confirm
whether any of these affect YOU, and at the same time maybe you can
add other issues which have not yet occurred to me.
1 - slow keyboarding skills
Not really, although typing is far from my best skill. Talking around
the continent or around the world doesn't lend itself as well to voice
chatting, (although maybe technology changes are changing that ) so I
think typed chat makes a good substitute. And typed chat is nothing
new, so attributing any perceived decrease in participation to that
doesn't fit.
2 - not moderated well
Does not apply IMHO.
3 - TIMING of the sessions is not suitable
I am an early riser, so they do push the late end for us North America
East folks. But, with multiple time zones stretching around the globe,
what are you going to do? Elsewhere, such as Asia, it's a morning chat
that might not be feasible because of the workday or school. But,
again, this is not really anything new.
4 - one doesn't find that they are getting value
I certainly get value from networking with others. But I do have to
weigh my participation against my other activities. This is subjective
and perceptual.
5 - become unaware that the chats are occurring
Hmmm. "Become unaware?" Maybe just ARE unaware? They were going on at
WWB a long time before I found out about them. And then it was longer
still before I wrangled my schedule to get involved again. Maybe
getting the word out, not just about the chats' existence but about
what they are, needs improvement.
6 - too BUSY
Well, I am certainly "too busy" in some people's eyes (sometimes
including my own) but that is a subjective thing that, again, is
weighed by the individuals against the other things they feel they
should be doing.
I find that my participation in other support groups (which is what
these two chats are) yield a great wealth of information when we get
together face to face. The other support groups I am involved with are
for foster and adoptive parents. They allow us to network and share
information, ideas and strategies for the situations and problems that
are unique to those areas. The participation is easily equally dismal
compared to the numbers you notice, Jim. It isn't that the people
aren't out there, same as with the UG community. Finally, my
participation in UG chats goes back to the days of the UG fora on AOL,
although I faded out for a long time after those areas faded. I don't
remember participation in those chats being exactly stellar either.
My own UG's executive discussions via e-mail are sometimes very lively,
indicating plenty of interest in the UG business. Yet when I mention
the chats on WWB, just as previously with the AOL chats, there is
little reaction. My mentioning that the problems experienced by other
groups parallel our own, and that it is an opportunity to share ideas
and learn from each other, (just like the model of UGs, get a bunch of
computer users together to learn from one another) doesn't seem to get
much response. One or two might express lukewarm interest, but they
never seem to quite make it to the chats. I still keep trying though.
I see the same sort of breakdown (as in reduction of numbers, not as in
broken) that I see in practically everything else regarding
participation. I have belonged to organizations of Christmas tree
growers and forest owners. I am a former member of Mensa. I've been in
clubs for photography and computers and gardens, probably others that
are not immediately coming to mind. The topic of discussion doesn't
seem to matter. We live in a fractal world?
Paul Richards
Syracuse Macintosh Users Group
Syracuse, NY, USA
http://www.iSMUG.com
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