ADMIN: OFF TOPIC: URGENT: considering moving the list to a new location

[Guest guest]

*** PROPOSED MOVE OF THE AUTISM-MERCURY LIST, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ARCHIVES ***

Dear folks,

Hello. I'm an administrative/technical helper to this list I also used to

write here a lot.

(I have been absent for many months). Some of you may also know me as the

person with

this little site with helpful information: http://home.earthlink.net/~moriam/

I'm sorry I've been away so long, and I hope to return soon, in a slightly

different form.

(Apologies to those I owe email to, I have been terribly slow with some

messages.)

We have an urgent situation to deal with: the list archive has recently

started to " disappear " .

This was discussed briefly on the list, and a couple of folks also wrote to

me and a (the

list's moderator) privately about it. Thank you.

The apparent thing to do is to move the list. The purpose for this would

be in order to have the

message archive of " autism treatment " stop growing. The idea is to maintain

the archive at its

present size, and then have all new posts go to the new list.

I propose to move the list as soon as feasible, to another list.

I would expect the new list to have the same settings as the current

list. The current list would then

be changed to make posting not possible (this is a very simple change to

make in the

list's settings.)

This would require everyone to subscribe to the " new list " . This would

surely involve some

disruption of content for a while--- no matter how much or how well it is

explained, lots of people will be

confused or lost for a while. So, some disruption and change and

readjustment is certainly implied.

Also searching would become a bit more complex, with 2 lists involved (from

that point on).

I absolutely intend to be informative and detailed about any changes made

prior to changing anything

on this list. REASONABLE EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO NOTIFY EVERYONE IF/WHEN

THIS CHANGE

BECOMES ACTUAL RATHER THAN PROPOSED. This includes, at the very least,

posting to

this list (the " old " list) about how to subscribe to the " new list " , and

changing the list " description " for this list

(the " old " list) to be a notice of the change and link to the new list.

For the last week or so I have been soliciting information (from 2 or 3

sources) about options

for what to do, and how things work relative to this. I have not yet

gotten all the answers I want/need.

Getting info is (unfortunately) going quite slowly.

Still, this is a very urgent matter. So, while I am continuing to try to

get a couple of important

questions answered, I am writing about this here, both to " warn you " that a

change is likely to

take place soon, and also to ask for any major objections to be voiced now.

(On the list or

privately as you wish.) Also, for those who have no idea what I'm talking

about, some

discussion here may help people understand why the move is being considered.

NO CHANGE IS TAKING PLACE AT THIS TIME. THIS PROPOSED CHANGE IS UNDER

***DISCUSSION***.

I'd like leave a little time for discussion and/or any major objections and

to answer questions.

Please take this information under advisement, and discuss it if you wish.

If you have questions or

concerns, now is the time. Please (please!) ALSO continue

to discuss the usual topics. Whether or not we move, life needs to go on,

including all the

current discussions underway.

thanks and best regards,

Moria Merriweather

list admin assistant