I have no strenuous arguments to make wrt board load at the moment, because we currently have reduced traffic. I just want to make sure it's not disregarded entirely.

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I'm against it until we figure out what is going on with the backend stuff and resolve since our time on a dedicated server is not destined to be forever.

Also, against it because in the myriad fora in which I participate, I haven't really been fortunate to see a really good model of how it works in one thread on a general interest board. That is, outside of TT's folder that had individual threads for individual books, or Readerville's, which I follow and was much like TT with the individual threads for individual books.

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I haven't really been fortunate to see a really good model of how it works in one thread on a general interest board.

I think the idea is that one book will be chosen at a time.

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Oops, sorry. Not being clear.

The single thread, one-book-at-a-time threads I've been a part of or have seen at various different fora haven't worked because it's hard to wrangle all participants, the time overlaps inevitable (if you say 1 book per month, there's a thing that happens that defies all logic and screws up the time) and then conversation piddles and dies out or overlaps and then dies out.

Eventually people get bored/pissed/aggravated and stop participating, in part because with a large group it's hard to come to a series of books that most people are interested in. The social imperative to read and participate, esp. in books you don't give a shit about, is less in an on line world than a meatspace one because it's easier just to opt out by lurking, where in a meatspace world, I find I'm more willing to read books I don't like (yes, you, Alexander Hamilton Bio) because the social compact I've made is such that if I go for months on end without showing up, they kick me out.

So, the result is that after a time people stop participating, or repurpose the thread into something akin to literary junior.

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a time people stop participating, or repurpose the thread into something akin to literary junior.

At which point we close the thread. I would rather give it a shot than say "It's never worked anywhere else."

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I think it's worth a try. If the discussions don't work for whatever reason, we can close the thread.

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A couple of questions, then.

Do we want to open the thread on a trial basis? Say, six months or a year?

Also, how would books be chosen? Calli had some great ideas in the Literary thread on this point.

Also, ita -- how are we doing on board resources? Are we close enough to the limit that we really shouldn't even be having this conversation?

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At which point we close the thread. I would rather give it a shot than say "It's never worked anywhere else."

Sure. Since we are so good at closing threads that have small yet vocal groups that hold them near and dear.

A better question might be, how many people are actually going to participate?

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I plan on participating. I really like the idea of that if day 1 is the start date , but I don't finish until day three i can jump in then. However, due to the concerns I would like to open the thread on a trial basis for 6 to 12 months with concerns like low participation, board load etc counting.

to do it well we need a definition of low participation.

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A better question might be, how many people are actually going to participate?

Hard to say. Even a show of hands doesn't really mean much. Could be it starts out popular and declines. Could be it starts out small and grows.

Also in the would rather give it a shot camp. Trial basis might be a plan. Six months, then put it up for a vote.

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