NEW COMMUNICATION SERVICE FOR THE
REGION
Julian Fox
SUVA (Fiji): 18th Feb -- 'BOSCONET-austraLasia' is pleased to
present a new communication service for those who wish to use it. It is an
interactive mailing list called austraLasia@bosconet.aust.com
presently operating as a 'closed' list. The closed nature of the list
means simply that any user who wishes to join is first checked by the list
moderator. Once on the list, any member's contribution via the above email
address is sent to every other member.
This service is different from the existing 'austraLasia'
newsletter - on receipt of information worthy of broadcast, I presently send the
newsletter out to some 500 members. No other member can 'post' to that
list. With this new service, you have the opportunity to hear from and
post to other Salesians or Salesian-minded people who are accepted on the
list. If the topic is of no particular interest to you you can simply
delete the item on receipt. Your email programme would allow you to set a
filter, anyway: you might not want to hear about streetkids, or items only from
Australia, or receive pics from Port Moresby or whatever. You set your
email programme to filter any subject headings with those items into a
bin! But far better, initially to wait and see, I'd suggest.
Just three important pieces of information to make this list
operable:
1, The key word in the addresses in (3) below is
austraLasia with Capital L in the middle.
2. There is an etiquette involved in email lists of this
kind. By all means post what you want, but remember that up to a thousand
others (the total capacity of this list) will receive what you write. Best
not to carry on a conversation aimed at just one other. Nevertheless, the normal
process involves you responding to a particular email message - your comments
will normally be of interest to many if not most others.
3. What to do to get on - or off - the list, and to do
other things with it?
austraLasia-get_lost@bosconet.aust.com
will not do what you think it will! In fact it won't do anything! In
joining the austraLasia mailing list, you are joining the very core of what the
internet is about - an unmoderated, non-hierarchical network of beings who
simply wish to engage in good conversation and communication about mutual
interests. There will be no need to attack the moderator who only performs
a technical function of getting you on the list. He cannot supervise,
select or otherwise fiddle with your comments. Enjoy!
By the way, whether you subscribe or not to the austraLasia
list, you will still receive austraLasia the E-letter; unless you absolutely,
uncompromisingly and determinedly wish to be left off that too!
Oh and one more thing. I note that the report (in
Italian only) on Salesians and the internet, saw Bosconet as a good enterprise,
but limited only to the English Language! Depends how you look at
it. There are links in Bosconet in Portugese, French, Spanish, German and
Italian, to name a few. Sites such as Bosconet with international appeal
probably have to adopt a lingua franca but should include links to sites in any
other language at all. On the austraLasia list, feel free to use any
language you like except bad language.
Julian
