[ADMIN] closing of the list (a wee suggestion)

[Richard B Mahoney]

Dear Dr. Wujastyk,

On Sun, Apr 15, 2001 at 06:29:09PM +0100, Dominik Wujastyk wrote:

>  When I started INDOLOGY a decade ago, I had in mind a list for
>  fifty or so of my professional colleagues.

>  Over the years, INDOLOGY has become something else entirely, and
>  membership now stands at about 650.

[snip]

>  In the present situation, I think the value of INDOLOGY as a
>  forum for scholarship has been eroded to the point at which it is
>  no longer as useful to professional scholars as it can and should
>  be.

[snip]

I would very much regret the loss of INDOLOGY. I can think of
only one other list where I might receive such useful replies to
`dry' bibliographical questions. Isolated as I am such help is
invaluable. And this is only one small aspect of INDOLOGY.

Yet for all its strengths, the management of INDOLOGY in its
present form is clearly attended with difficulties which must
make the task less than pleasant. Dominik has shown far more
patience than I could ever hope to muster.

I would welcome the continuation of the list, although in a
slightly different form. Perhaps progress could be made by
increasing the number of those who administer the list and
reducing the number of those who could subscribe?

Whatever is decided, I do think that something may be learned
from the way that H-Net addresses many of these issues. A good
number of academic forums already exist. It is also possible to
establish new forums. Information on H-Net can be found at:

 http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/lists/

 http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/lists/application.cgi

It seems to me that the criteria outlined in the application
questionnaire could find favour with many of the present
subscribers to INDOLOGY.

I hope all this is useful.

Many regards,

 Richard Mahoney



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------------------------ Richard Mahoney -------------------------
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Christchurch                                           New Zealand
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