vectorlist policy on commerce

Everybody take a verrrry deep breath, count from ten to one, and read on:

Obviously commerce is an essential part of collecting arcade games. We all
need replacement parts to make our games functional from time to time.
However, the focus on vectorlist is the technical side of the games, not
brokering games and parts.

I'll back Joe on the outright "ban," and I'd like to invite Neil to start a
list of his own to complement vectorlist. I'd love for there to be a
vectorlist-like commerce list, much like RGVAC and RGVAM were *intended* to
work. Having moderators keeping the lists on-topic will work far better
than the RGVAC/RGVAM debaucle. If we actually enforce the distinction
(essentially all non-commerce on vectorlist, and all commerce on
vectorcommerce@synthcom.com or whatever), there is a very easy way for
people who want only technical information to get it, and there's little
damage, since those who want the haggling, price undercutting, and long
discussions on game values can have their outlet. Managing one more list
should, at worst, require somebody to add yet another rule to their e-mail
processing list.

I can say for certain that Joe and I would both join a commerce list. We
don't abhor commerce, but I absolutely don't want to dilute the content of
vectorlist because there was a spat over commerce. I really do think that
keeping vectorlist intact, as-is, and adding another list for sales, etc.
would be the best solution. Joe and I have our hands full moderating
vectorlist and rasterlist (now 54 happy members strong! :-) ), but we both
see the need for commerce. We just want to keep vectorlist intact as one of
the most on-topic lists around, and the squabbling over prices is something
that detracts from our focus.

As enthusiasts, we all have the tendency to get passionate in situations
like these. I had to speak with Joe just now at length to get in sync with
him, but I think my proposal above is for the best. Neil, please contact me
personally if you'd like to hammer out the details of all this will work.
I'll be more than happy to allow as on-topic an ad for the new list on
vectorlist. :-)

If anybody has any questions or concerns about this, please contact me
personally at Paul_Labuda@Dell.com . I don't really want the list to be
filled with impassioned defenses of Clay, or critiques, for that matter.
He's a good guy, and most of the folks on vectorlist are decent people. His
departure is lamented, but I learned long ago that you can't keep everybody
happy all the time. I think that a separate list for commerce is the best
way to keep our little community together.

At the end of it all, realize that we're all raising our blood pressures
over a freaking *mailing list*. I can think of a lot more important things
to worry about. Like why my Tempest's monitor refuses to work. :-)

- Paul Labuda

-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Bradley [mailto:neil@synthcom.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 5:10 PM
To: vectorlist@lists.cc.utexas.edu
Subject: Re: various vector...

> > > I'm afraid I just can't get along with this rule. There's too many
> > > exceptions. "Push" commerce isn't allowed except for reproductions
and
> > > whatnot... What the hell? It's still selling something. Presumably
the
> You're 100% right. Change what I said in the last post to NO
> commerce. Period. No exceptions. I'm sick and tired of trying to bend
> like a pretzel to satisfy everyone. I realize that that's not going to
> happen. There are plenty of places to post FS and WTB posts.

That's too hard of an edge to have. As far as I'm concerned, the vector
list is here and we're like a group of good friends who occasionally want
to sell vector related stuff to our "friends". I don't think there's a
single one of us on this list who wants to be here for the sole purpose of
selling and having zero interest in the games we talk about.

I've gotten lots of advice from fellow listmembers in addition to a WG
monitor replacement for my Asteroids machine. because people posted about
it on the list. As far as I'm concerned, that's part of the process in
repairing some of our beloved games. To get to a point where I need new
parts and can't ask for some for sale from a fellow vector head o the same
list that was used to assist in debugging is just stupid!

> bandwidth.) It's a matter of the point/niche of the list. This list has
> consistently maintained a much higher SNR, IMHO, than RGVAC, arcade list,
> and any other forum for discussion of arcade games, IMHO because its
> content has been somewhat restricted to technical stuff.

In what fashion? We self police ourselves quite well I think. Only a
handful of times have we gotten severely off topic.

So if it's decided that there's zero tolerance policy for sales of any
sort, I'll start a list on Synthcom. Arguing about such petty shit is a
waste of time, and severly off topic. The people on this list and their
posts are quite valuable, including the for sale posts, so don't make
those of us who do appreciate relevant forsale posts suffer because of
an emotional inability to hit the delete key.

-->Neil

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Neil Bradley            Synthcom home : http://www.synthcom.com
Synthcom Systems, Inc.  Y2K Dumbness - "Instant noodle meals are
disappearing."
ICQ # 29402898          "Hordes coming for my Ramen stash? I'm getting my
gun."