Text 35341, 77 rader
Skriven 2006-07-31 05:23:43 av FidoNews Robot (2:2/2.0)
Ärende: FidoNews 23:31 [02/07]: General Articles
================================================
=================================================================
                        GENERAL ARTICLES
=================================================================

                  Why No Articles In Fidonews
Jeff Smith 1:282/1031

Why no articles in Fidonews? A number of possible reasons come to
mind. First is people no longer associate enough importance with
Fidonews to want to bother submitting an article. People no longer
have much interest in reading Fidonews therefore people see no point
in submitting.  People expect that only submissions that meet or agree
with the editor's particular view will get published so they don't
bother submitting an article. The editor's attitude and behavior have
all but eliminated any interest people might have in submitting an
article. People fear that their article may only get published if they
belong to a group or country that the editor approves of or likes. The
constant arguing, bickering, profanity, and name calling in the
Fidonews echo has helped to eliminate interest in either reading or
submitting articles. A possible secondary factor is the lack of
control from the moderator of the Fidonews echo. With the type of
behavior that is seen in the Fidonews echo on a daily basis. Why would
anyone want to bother when all that could be expected in return in the
Fidonews echo would be ridicule, name calling, and personal attacks.
When the Fidonews editor himself resorts to discrimination of people
in the Fidonews echo based on what country they may come from, what
religion they may believe in, what political views they may hold. How
can one have any confidence that such a person will not let his
behavior affect the performance of his duties as Fidonews editor?
Diminishing interest in Fidonet as a whole is causing a lack of
interest in Fidonews. There are other possible reasons for the lack of
articles.

I used to enjoy reading the Fidonews and at one time even made the
Fidonews available for viewing on my BBS. I too don't bother doing
either any longer. For me the primary reasons are as stated above. I
used to read the Fidonews and enjoyed reading articles by a variety of
people. By people that I agreed with as well as by those that I
didn't. I enjoyed seeing different points of view and was willing to
learn to see things from alternative points of view. One important
thing for me at least is there shouldn't be any air that what is
submitted must meet with the approval of someone other than for
vulgarity, bad name calling, or for technical reasons. All of which
can be corrected by the author and resubmitted. My point is that based
on what I have seen by the current editor I wouldn't be surprised and
therefore wouldn't normally bother to submit an article. The intention
of the current editor may be good at heart and I mean no insult to him
personally. I just feel that the value and importance of Fidonews is
suffering based in part by and because of the current editor. I don't
think that the current editor is the sole cause for the lack of
interest in Fidonews. But I do think that it is part of the reason and
it is something that can be corrected by the current editor or by a
new editor as the situation may dictate.

I would like the Fidonews to be a place for people to goto to read
what's new on the Fidonet scene. To read about new or upgraded
software. A place to read about tips and suggestions regarding BBS's
and mail movement. A place to goto to read about joining Fidonet. A
place to goto for links to general software support as well as Fidonet
related web sites of interest. These are but just a few of the things
that I would like to see, or see more of in the Fidonews. Lets work
towards doing what needs to be done to get the Fidonews back to where
people look forward to seeing what is in the next issue. What we need
are intelligent ideas on how to improve Fidonet as a whole which will
go along way toward rekindling interest in Fidonews. Any ideas need to
be free of agendas or political motivations.


Jeff Smith




-----------------------------------------------------------------

--- Azure/NewsPrep 3.0
 * Origin: Home of the Fidonews (2:2/2.0)