Fans Forum on Thursday

[moonwalklikebas]

This really doesnt shock me.

It just clarifies what we already know!

Star board = Clique of busy bodies. Who put themselves before their members.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

I don't know the details of who this exactly was sent to, but I do know that I only started re-getting these mails last week when I renewed my membership.

I do know, though, as I set the first version of the mailing system up, that it'd be a real pain and hassle to select people on it - a mail put into it blats out to all members on the list. To me it's unthinkable that someone would go to such efforts. What would they gain from it when their aim would be to fill this event as quickly as possible. Yes, they might ask some people first before the mail went out, but no more than a handful. if there's a suggestion that they had 100 or so "favoured buddies" who got asked first, don't you think that's a bit big for a "clique"?

When I've had to do thing like this, usually in a last-minute panic knowing the Beeb, you're just grateful to get as many people as you can. Excluding potential people out would only cause extra work and slow things down - what's to be gained from it?

I can also tell you that a massive proportion (c30-40%) of e-star mails used to get stopped by people's spam filters - it was always a major hassle trying to word e-mails in such a way that they'd not be stopped.

[STAR Liaison]

I don't know the details of who this exactly was sent to, but I do know that I only started re-getting these mails last week when I renewed my membership.

I do know, though, as I set the first version of the mailing system up, that it'd be a real pain and hassle to select people on it - a mail put into it blats out to all members on the list. To me it's unthinkable that someone would go to such efforts. What would they gain from it when their aim would be to fill this event as quickly as possible. Yes, they might ask some people first before the mail went out, but no more than a handful. if there's a suggestion that they had 100 or so "favoured buddies" who got asked first, don't you think that's a bit big for a "clique"?

When I've had to do thing like this, usually in a last-minute panic knowing the Beeb, you're just grateful to get as many people as you can. Excluding potential people out would only cause extra work and slow things down - what's to be gained from it?

I can also tell you that a massive proportion (c30-40%) of e-star mails used to get stopped by people's spam filters - it was always a major hassle trying to word e-mails in such a way that they'd not be stopped.

You have it right there - the E-STAR (both for the Radio5 prgoramme and the AGM and Fans' Forum) was sent to all members and since we have been taking online membership there has been a much reduced bounce problem but we can't control if spam filters get them or not.

If you are a STAR member and not getting E-STAR then I suggest you set your spam filter that anything from e-star@star-reading.org is not spam, or email e-star@star-reading.org saying you are not receiving E-STAR and then keep an eye on your spam box for a couple of days for the acknowledgement mail and mark it as not spam so that you can receive them in future.

[Green]

What are you using to send the emails out?

Presumably some kind of web based tool like vertical response?

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Completely forget what it was called - it's a standalone mailmerge engine. They may not still be using it, of course.

[Big Foot]

I thought starliason didn't want to engage with HNA? anymore

[The Rouge]

Whatever happens, can we please start spelling liaison right.

Spelling liaison right is one of life's small pleasures, so I say this more for your benefit than to try and remedy my sleepless nights.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Whatever happens, can we please start spelling liaison right.

Spelling liaison right is one of life's small pleasures, so I say this more for your benefit than to try and remedy my sleepless nights.

Interfering busybody

[Cpl Jones Dont panic]

Once again key points are missed. The lack of invite is nothing to do with spam controls, if this was the case no emails including ESTar would come through. This refers to a very select invite that was not send out to all members so sorry I still maintain that it was an " invited audience"

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Once again key points are missed. The lack of invite is nothing to do with spam controls, if this was the case no emails including ESTar would come through. This refers to a very select invite that was not send out to all members so sorry I still maintain that it was an " invited audience"

Not actually true. Spam filters trigger on the contents of individual messages, unless the sender or domain has been blocked, which is less common. that's why email clients pre-check all incoming mail and filter accordingly at that stage.

Carry on believing whatever fits your agenda if it suits you, but the key point is still why would STAR go to all the effort you suggest to exclude certain people?

[Royal Lady]

Alex - I think the point being made here is that if they are getting other ESTAR emails, isn't it a little odd that they didn't get that specific one? Or I may have misread the posts from Cpl Jones and Cypry.

[floyd__streete]

Here we go again, half a dozen pages of moaning about STAR. Want to go to a STAR event or get a report on what is discussed after the event if you cannot make it? Join STAR. I am neither joining nor attending as I don't care about such hot topics such as who Nicy Shorey thinks is the biggest prankster in the dressing room.

LOL @ Tory girl Royal Lady's 'something-for-nothing' attitude

[floyd__streete]

Are you really so hung up on that? Organisation asked to find 100 people, organisation sends a single email out to their membership list, contacting people that they have contact details for. Way, way easier to do things through emails rather than get countless PMs in and then have to get emails/contact details.

They did this in the simplest quickest way they could - why make it harder for themselves? Occam's Razor applies here rather than any conspiracy theories of people thinking they're delberately being excluded.

It is also worth remembering that STAR are run by volunteers who presumably have jobs and a finite amount of time to arrange things like this

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Alex - I think the point being made here is that if they are getting other ESTAR emails, isn't it a little odd that they didn't get that specific one? Or I may have misread the posts from Cpl Jones and Cypry.

That's the suggestion, but the implication is that they've got ALL other E-STAR mails except this one. That's patently ludicrous, since how would they actually know if they've not got other mails that have been sent - they only know about this one because it was mentioned on here?

Spam filters are utter bastards with what they do and don't stop, and just how unpredictable they are - from my experience at least 30% of each mailshot didn't get read - but it wasn't the same 30% each time.

[Royal Lady]

Here we go again, half a dozen pages of moaning about STAR. Want to go to a STAR event or get a report on what is discussed after the event if you cannot make it? Join STAR. I am neither joining nor attending as I don't care about such hot topics such as who Nicy Shorey thinks is the biggest prankster in the dressing room.

LOL @ Tory girl Royal Lady's 'something-for-nothing' attitude

At least it made you smile you miserable old toe-rag.

I'm not after something for nothing - I just feel, whether rightly or wrongly, that a few HNA people, for example, joining STAR wouldn't make STAR any different.

[Silver Fox]

But how could you ever know?

[Alexander Litvinenko]

But how could you ever know?

They either try it and see, or they don't. If they don't they lose the right to bitch about what an organisation they won't join is doing.

[Green]

But how could you ever know?

An old fashioned, slightly archaic thing called common sense I imagine.

[The Rouge]

But how could you ever know?

An old fashioned, slightly archaic thing called common sense I imagine.

ZING!

[melonhead]

but I suppose as STAR were asked to find the people, they thought they'd stick with STAR members - .

weird