From hungary-online-owner Thu Apr 13 23:28:07 1995 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id XAA26513 for hungary-online-announce-out31415; Thu, 13 Apr 1995 23:28:07 -0700 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id XAA26500; Thu, 13 Apr 1995 23:27:53 -0700 Received: from carlson@odin.net () via =-=-=-=-=-= for hungary-online-announce@hungary.yak.net (26498) Received: from odin.net (root@omega.odin.net [193.130.116.3]) (fnord) by nando (8.6.5/8.6.5) with ESMTP id XAA26493 for ; Thu, 13 Apr 1995 23:26:41 -0700 Received: from [193.130.116.13] by odin.net with SMTP (8.6.10/1.2-btv) id HAA32465; Fri, 14 Apr 1995 07:40:10 GMT Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 08:21:28 +0100 To: hungary-online-announce@hungary.yak.net From: carlson@odin.net (Steven Carlson) Subject: (HOL-A) HOL> writer seeks contact with readers Sender: owner-Hungary-Online-announce@hungary.yak.net Precedence: bulk Reply-To: Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net This piece describes how I think HOL relates to the newspaper column I publish in the bbj. Ironically, I haven't been online much this week because my kid has the chickenpox. So if I've been slow answering my mail, that's one reason . =steve= -- attention: writer seeks contact with readers hungary-online By Steven Carlson Putting out a weekly column isn't easy. Each week I inevitably find myself faced with a deadline and a blank page. If I'm lucky there's an inspiration. The writer's skill comes in making sure that inspiration happens each week. This week I'm going to give you a behind the screens glimpse of how I search for that inspiration. And wouldn't you know it - I'll end up talking about the Internet again. That's because the column you're reading in newsprint lives a second life on the Net. Or rather, it takes on another dimension. On the Internet my column talks back to me. This newspaper you're holding in your hands is a one-way channel. I write, you read, and most of the time, that's just fine. But occasionally I might write something that really makes sense. Or I might piss you off. Either way, when that happens I want your reaction. Like most columnists, I'm a bit of a rabble rouser. I want to know when I've hit a nerve. Something magic happens when a columnist strikes up a relationship with his readers. Or more to the point, when the readers find a channel to the writer. The power of a Walter Winchell or an Ann Landers is the ability to tap into the readers' nervous system and channel it back to the newspaper page. As you might expect my readers send me email - at least three or four letters each week. For example, last week I wrote telling newcomers to the Net how to avoid basic newbie mistakes. Two Hungarian readers wrote me complaining that it's hard to learn the Internet without materials in their own language. Well, I'm happy to announce the _Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet_ has just been published in Hungarian translation. Contact Sandor Seres at CoDe Kft (122-9450). Reader email is great, but on the on Internet I have even more options. On the Net I can pass the microphone on to the readers themselves. I've done this by creating a forum called hungary-online to let my readers sound off. This forum is distinct from the newspaper column, but often feeds back into what you see here. It works as an email subscription list. When a reader sends a message to the list address that message goes out all the other subscribers. If one of the readers answers, that response then goes to all the others. Viola - a medium is born. But what should we talk about? Who's in charge here? Every newspaper has an editor who sets that paper's tone. According to the jargon I'm the moderator of the hungary-online list. Well, technically speaking I'm just the list owner. A true moderator has to approve or reject each message. In the beginning I decided that would take too much time and restrict expression on the list. All the same I needed to give it guidance. After five months the hungary-online list has developed into something like a talk show or a conference. I often start conversation by introducing topics or people. But since anyone can jump in, I never get to monopolize the list. Most members are happy just to "lurk" - to watch the show quietly. But there's a hard core of about ten people who regularly contribute their opinions or forward us info. What do we talk about? Just think of the words "Hungary" and "online". Where they meet you'll find hungary-online. Except that the readership is expanding beyond just Hungary to the other Central Europe countries. Maybe that means I'll have to rename the list, any suggestions? Recently we've talked about an Internet project started by a local Hungarian-language paper, the _Magyar_Narancs_ . We're also learning about the Hollosi Information eXchange (HIX) a Hungarian-language Internet meeting ground with 5,000 members worldwide . The people involved in these projects live in Hungary and the US, but since they all read the list we can carry on the discussion effortlessly. The hungary-online list is mainly for people interested in developing the Internet in Central Europe. That may not be interesting for everybody and the list generates a lot of email. That's why we've developed a second channel. The hungary-online-announce list is a mechanism that sends out just the column, as well irregular updates I write about the hungary-online list. What do you think? Drop me a line and let me know. [sidebar] How to find us on the Net Hungary Online is available on the Internet in two flavors - one that sends you just the column, and one that lets you take part in the discussion. Here's how to sign on for each. When you subscribe, you'll get an introductory message telling you more about how this works. hungary-online-announce To receive this column by email each week send a message to with no subject, and the message subscribe hungary-online-announce hungary-online To subscribe to the hungary-online discussion list, send a message to with no subject, and the body: subscribe hungary-online Note: CompuServe mail works a little differently. You have to add "internet:" (without quotes) to the front of the email addresses above. You also have to fill out a subject line - just put anything and it will be ignored. Remember you'll have to pay for each message you get from Internet. The hungary-online list can send you up to five messages each day, so you might want to choose hungary-online-announce instead. [blurb] Steven Carlson is a technology writer and Internet trainer who welcomes your feedback --- Steven Carlson moderator/publisher - hungary-online Critical Mass Media Inc internet trainer, consultant [+361] 133-4647 in Budapest, Hungary carlson@odin.net ############# # This message to Hungary-Online-announce@hungary.yak.net # was from carlson@odin.net (Steven Carlson) # # To unsubscribe, # send "unsubscribe" to # For a full subscription (rather than this announcement-only subscription) # mail "subscribe" to # Send mail to for more information, # or to if you need human assistance. #############