This is a tricky one. The list guidelines currently indicate that the lists are "... not a venue for general announcements about Upper Valley events from those not connected with the town." Posts about nonprofit events happening in that town are encouraged on each town's list. We sometimes see posts that bend this rule a bit - for instance, someone in a theater group in another town encouraging their neighbors to attend a performance.
We've seen other town discussion lists where posts about events outside of town are allowed when they are deemed to be of interest to those in town. We want to make sure that the guidelines are clear about what is and is not appropriate. We're pretty sure that if each town discussion list becomes a place for an Upper Valley event presenter to post the same announcement about their upcoming events, that the unique character and usefulness of each town's discussion list will diminish.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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Up to now, postings have not been numerous for Fairlee. I welcome news of music and other art events which are in our area. As these events deserve our support, it seems to me a better choice to allow those outside our immediate town to post on this list. If is becomes a problem, then perhaps there can be another heading or subset which would be more directed toward area events. But who is going to go to Alumni Hall in Haverhill if Fairlee is not considered as part of the audience?
ReplyDeleteI think postings about outside-town events are fine if the events involve town residents as members of the cast, production crew, presentation, lecture, debate, stump speech, etc.
ReplyDeleteDean Whitlock, Thetford Center
I think out of town postings are fine if they involve a town member in some way such as art exhibits, theater or musical events.
ReplyDeleteStrafford Listserve
It seems to be presumptuous that any one person could decide "what is of interest" to the residents of any town. It is better to be informed and make one's own decision than to be uninformed and have someone else make it for one. If you're not interested in something just DON'T go! This is a good resource. Let's not ruin it.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Anne Aversa
South Strafford VT
Tara Bamford
ReplyDeleteThetford Listserve
I really appreciate the notices of events in neighboring towns. I don't have time to go browsing other lists - I am not looking for more to do - but nonetheless might make time to go hear, e.g., the Lyme Town Band on the Lyme common.
If a town resident is participating in an event outside one's town and thinks that friends and other residents would be interested, I have no problem with a notice. Similarly, anything that might be of interest to residents of other area towns (e.g.; meetings, performances) is welcomed, but perhaps purely commercial listings should advertise elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciate the list as a free means by which to advertise a small and local business, I would like to see this list remain a 'discussion' group, or a place to sell, buy or swap items.
ReplyDeleteThe list could inclulde events outside of town that are of interest to Thetford residents, but not postings that are actually a promotion of commercial ventures.
I think a discussion of issues and ideas that are relevant to Thetford are an important compontent of this list.
A lot of us in town are owners of small and local businesses; peprhaps a separate list advertising goods and services, special promotions or sales opportunities would serve as an alternative to including them in the daily list.
Perhaps the list guidelines might say something like:
ReplyDeleteListings of community events in town are always appreciated. List subscribers are welcome occasionally to post events outside of town in which they or their family members are participating. The aim is to keep the focus on events in town as well and on events involving this community's members.
I think Jeanne is right, that it would be useful if there were some way for local businesses to let others in the community know about what they are doing, without having the lists allow advertising. Perhaps a link in the list footer to a business page that businesses could periodically update?
ReplyDeleteWould businesses in town be looking simply for a place to list their location and services, or would this be something that would be a way for a business to post a weekly announcement of specials, etc.?
Maybe this is a discussion for a separate topic heading...
i'd like to see things opened up to include announcements from small businesses, items of interest and invitations that cross town lines. why not try a more flexible approach and see how it works?
ReplyDeleteI would hope we can share news across the Upper Valley Communities. A friend from Dartmouth just created a website called gozippin.com in which you type in your specific zip code and events come up for your zip. Maybe there is a way to intergrate event posting from here to there. There is also yellowhousemedia.com which has all the local music and theater. Is there a way to combine all these into one or sidebars on this discussion?
ReplyDeleteClosed community discussion group = close-minded.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to keep in mind about any rule is that it can be changed if things get out of hand. I believe in learning from experience. I find some postings on the Thetford list to be inappropriate, e.g., the bogus ones telling me how to avoid some imagined scam or other, or the long educational postings. But, they are few enough that they have not really bothered me much.
ReplyDeleteIn another post, I said I'd been a Thetford resident for almost 5 years. Actually, it's almost 6. Excuse me, I'm over 50.
I very much like Bob's idea of events that include members of the community ( and their family members, if they also reside in the community) in some capacity.Today's post by David Fisk is an excellent example. But please, no ads! Even small ads for a small business open the door to more extensive commercials. I hate the fact that one cannot rent a DVD or go to a movie these days without being bombarded by come-ons for some worthy business or product!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sandra Miller with regard to trying a more open approach. The Listserv in Lyme has fewer guidelines and I think it works fine; even though classes or events taking place in other communities might be announced, the discussions still take place and definitely retain a Lyme flavor. Sometimes there are a lot of postings, but if you don't wish to, you don't need to read them. Yes, there are other places where small businesses may post or publish announcements, but these lists provide the simplest, least expensive and greenest method for reaching out to to as many others as possible.
ReplyDelete"town" is much too restrictive. I am interested and travel to things all over Vermont and New Hampshire and would really appreciate the listserv not being heavy handed in deciding what is of interest. I think this can be self policed by the list very well. People will complain if someone is offering "too much information"
ReplyDelete