It has come to my attention that the term "HOCKEY-L member" isn't quite as clear as it once was. I'll use this posting to give one perspective on my view of a HOCKEY-L member and a little background information. HOCKEY-L, The College Hockey Discussion List, is now three seasons old. From it's creation at Merrimack College (by Mike Machnik with help from several others), to it's transfer about a year later to its current host, the University of Maine System, and to today, HOCKEY-L has grown to where I estimate over 1000 people regularly read HOCKEY-L. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A "HOCKEY-L member" is anyone who regularly reads HOCKEY-L postings. ------------------------------------------------------------------- HOCKEY-L is now read in many forms: 1. Direct subscription to HOCKEY-L. Often when I have referred to HOCKEY-L members in the past I have meant HOCKEY-L subscribers; I'll try to be more specific in the future. A subscriber to HOCKEY-L reads individual postings as separate mail files delivered directly to the subscriber's E-mail address. In-season, 20-35 E-mail files per day may be expected to arrive in a subscriber's mail box. About 350 folks were HOCKEY-L subscribers at the end of this season. 2. Subscription to HOCKEY-D. This is similar to HOCKEY-L in that subscriptions are taken and postings are delivered directly to the subscriber's E-mail address. The difference is that HOCKEY-D is a compendium of HOCKEY-L postings. Each HOCKEY-L digest (there were about 100 digest postings during this *first* season of HOCKEY-D) is 500-2000 lines long and generally contains 10-30 of the most recent HOCKEY-L postings. The postings in a digest are ordered by "Subject:" and chronologically within "Subject:" (Thus it really helps HOCKEY-D readers if posters make good subject lines and use the "Re:" convention when replying to postings). About 150 folks were HOCKEY-D subscribers at end of this season. 3. Direct redistributions of HOCKEY-L. There a few sites that re-distribute HOCKEY-L via various redistribution mechanisms. The redistributions are again seen as individual E-mail items for each HOCKEY-L postings. I have no way to estimate the number these HOCKEY-L members. If you run or use a redistribution of HOCKEY-L, please let me know via private mail (please don't reply to the HOCKEY-L list). 4. Indirect redistribution of HOCKEY-L or HOCKEY-D via E-mail or paper. A number of HOCKEY-L members either resend or print and deliver selected HOCKEY-L postings to interested folks that either don't have E-mail connectivity or cannot afford the time to read all postings. I have no way to estimate the number these HOCKEY-L members. If you provide selected postings to someone, and would care to devulge it, please let me know via private mail (please don't reply to the HOCKEY-L list). 5. HOCKEY-L or HOCKEY-D postings are hung on several dorm, fraternity, and locker-room hallways. If you regulary read HOCKEY-L postings from one of these, consider yourself a HOCKEY-L member! I have no way to estimate the number these HOCKEY-L members. If you provide or read HOCKEY-L postings in this manner, please let me know via private mail (please don't reply to the HOCKEY-L list). (I'm really more interested in the location of the bulletin board, but I always like to chat with HOCKEY-L members). 6. HOCKEY-L postings in a local newsgroup. HOCKEY-L is not available as a NETNEWS/USENET global newsgroup, but may exist as a local newsgroup, where there exists a staff person at your site that will abide by my rules and that will otherwise be responsible for it. Several sites now provide this service. These HOCKEY-L members are not subscribed to HOCKEY-L and do not read postings via E-mail. Many folks prefer this method of reading HOCKEY-L since it does not "clog-up" your mail box. I have no way to estimate the number these HOCKEY-L members, but it probably equals all other methods combined. If you provide or read HOCKEY-L postings in this manner, please let me know via private mail (please don't reply to the HOCKEY-L list). (I'm really more interested in the location of the newsgroup, but I always like to chat with HOCKEY-L members). Yours in College_Hockey, Wayne Smith Systems Group - CAPS BITNET/CREN: wts@maine University of Maine System internet: [log in to unmask] P.S. If you made it to here, you *must* be a HOCKEY-L member :-)