DickT wrote, in part..
>         A quick examination of the archive listing for HOCKEY-L shows a steeply
> declining participation rate for the list.
>
>         While the popularity of various boards such as USCHO may be partly to
> blame, I am unconvinced. Many folks post on HOCKEY-L and yet don't
> subscribe. Instead, they monitor the discussion by looking at the archives.
> This method is much cleaner than getting one's mailbox stuffed with e-mail.
>
>         The problem recently has been that the archives have been rarely
> accessible. The GOPHER server at Maine seems to be in a state of almost
> perpetual non-functionality. IN addition, when one does get in, oftentimes
> the archives are not up to date. Does anyone know why this is? Is there a
> plan to fix the problem?
 
Subscriptions are down significantly from the highs of a couple of
years ago.  Right now:
 
   Hockey-L 660
   Info-Hockey-L 560
   Hockey-D 270
 
We have no plan to address this issue beyond what we are already
doing (Encourage new writers when we see them; encourage writers
on other forums to read and write here).  If you want to address this
or any other lists issues, I invite you to subscribe to HOCKEY and
post your ideas and concerns there.
 
Web access to the gopher archives is not stable or reliable.  Some
people have had some luck starting at "gopher://Maine.edu/" and
burrowing down to the list archives.
 
The good news  is that (I'm pre-announcing ) in a few to several
weeks all of the lists will be moving to another platform and the latest
LISTSERV technology which includes an excellent web interface for
subscription management as well as reading and searching the
archives.  Relevant information will be published on all of the college
hockey lists as we approach the cutover.  It is likely that some list
structural changes will also be made at that time, but that has not been
decided.  Contact me offline or via HOCKEY if you have questions or
concerns.
 
For your college hockey lists administrators Tom, Bill and Pete, I am ...
 
Sincerely yours,
 
 
Wayne T. Smith                             mailto:[log in to unmask]
Systems Group - UNET                 University of Maine System
Co-owner of the College Hockey mailing lists
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.