Steve Firth wrote:
>> Some of my clients in the diagnostics
> industry only have mail access, which could help to explaing why the
> newsgroup is so quiet.
>Remember that all of the bionet newsgroups are also available as e-mail =
mailing lists. I agree though, that there's something clubby (for want =
of a better word)
about a mailing list that seems to be lost with a newsgroup.
> I also believe that it is the restriction placed on commercial posts =
that
> keeps bionet.diagnostics so quiet. I don't wish to see advertising, =
but I
> would like to exchange general commercial information (looking for
> materials, requests for researchers to participate in assay development
> projects etc.) which I understand from a conversation with the
> bionet.general moderator is banned from all bionet groups.
>Hmm. Now this is an interesting point. It remains to be seen if the stric=
t ban on commercial activities will continue once NSF funding for bionet =
stops (quite soon ISTR). In any event, I think we'd all agree that we =
don't want to be innundated with adverts for Dodgy Derek's Dialysis tubin=
g or whatever, but the other things described above look less undesirable=
to me.
Requests for people to take part in assay development have certainly appe=
ared here before, and as it can't be described as advertising I haven't =
seen it as a problem. Exchanging commercial information? - it depends =
what you mean. I think that posts along the lines of 'What does anyone =
think of product X' are quite acceptable - as long as the post doesn't =
come from the makers of product X - though themakers of product X are =
welcome to respond to direct queries about their product.
Likewise (and this is where things do get a bit silly), it is acceptable =
for someone to post saying 'what type of dialysis tubing do people use?' =
and for someone else to reply saying 'Hey, Dodgy Derek's dialysis tubing =
is great - buy it' but not for the aforementioned Dodgy Derek himself =
to respond saying 'Hey I make dialysis tubing - buy it, it's great'.
I hope that this is now clear:-).
My own view is that the sort of things Steve mentions are acceptable, =
within the restrictions mentioned above. Further information is available=
in the bionet/biosci FAQ (posted in bionet.announce or at http://www.bio=
.net).
Apologies to any Dereks who may read this list:-)
Kevin
Dr Kevin O'Donnell "Work as if you were in the early days
Diagnostics and Molecular Biology of a better nation" Alasdair =
Gray
Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
Edinburgh odonnell at sasa.gov.uk
