Want list(s) -- not the solution

[Brian Lanning]

On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 9:51 AM, Jim Battle <frustum at pacbell.net> wrote:
> Brian, this is a terrible idea.  It doesn't scale.
>
> Do you realize that there are >1000 people on this list?  If each broadcasts
> his/her wishlist every month, we will be up to our knees in unwanted wish
> lists.  If everyone does as you suggest, each individual request will likely
> receive as much attention as if you hadn't posted it.
>
> It will be like a mail pyramid -- the first ones to do it will get some
> results, and everyone else suffers.
>
> Let's do what we have been doing -- if you have some specific need and can't
> find it locally or on ebay, then think about asking the list.  For instance,
> you acquire some computer but it has no boot media.  Great. Everyone asking
> Santa for an Apple I for a month won't fly.
>
> There are a couple "computer rescue" lists, although I don't track them
> anymore and don't know if they get updated.  If not, maybe someone with some
> web smarts can think about (re)creating one.  Go online, register your
> location and interests, update it when you want. Maybe get Jay to host it
> and link to it from classiccmp.org.

I didn't realize it was so huge.  Although I didn't give it a lot of
thought either.  Also, I figured my post would be a starting point to
a discussion about a mechanism that would allow people to find each
other.  I wasn't sure what form it would take.  It certainly doesn't
have to be a giant email every month.  I could probably put together
the site you describe, although my time is sort of limited.