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At 7:49 PM 10/24/96, <TekDivr@ao*.co*> observed:

>In the few days I have been on this list, I find it hard to believe some of
>the commentary people love to express.  I thought the purpose of this list
>was to provide people with an interest in the technical aspects of diving a
>forum to exchange information.

After you spend a few years reading the transactions on this list you'll
notice a regular format.  It has a strong tendancy towards Japanese
Kabuki theater mixed with a liberal dose of advertising.  The main
characters are two dimensional archtypes who periodically rage at one
another from stylized postures while wearing elaborate costumes.  The
language is a traditional mixture of medical terms, engineering jargon
and shock radio.

Minor parts and supporting roles are played by a (suspected) small
troupe of nameless character actors that are constantly changing
costumes and makeup by way of AOL and CompuServe accounts.  Some of
the brighter talents are able to maintain 3 or 4 characters at a time.

Every so often one of the established characters takes a break from
the main script to do a short message from their sponsor.  These
messages almost never refer directly to the sponsor, instead they're
aimed at undermining the competition.  Marketing analysis has shown
conclusively that negative advertising is the most succcessful format
for politically oriented venues.

So in short, the central theme of this list is a daytime soap opera with
lots of negative adds.

Scott.

PS - for a complete discussion of the strategy and tactics of internet
mail group communications, see the novel "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott
Card.

S.

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