[BrewArk]

AHA TechTalk is sent to over 15,000 homebrewers daily.  TechTalk is available to members of the American Homebrewer's Association as a discussion group specifically dedicated to the art and science of homebrewing.

[majorvices]

I personally never read TechTalk. I have always found it difficult to follow. Quite frankly its a terrible format. It takes too much time to read. The people who adhere to TT do not really understand how much easier it is to use this forum - for one thing you can click on only the topics you are most interested. In TT you have to scan through the entire email. For another, you can post a question and have a response in minutes on the forum, as opposed to the next with TT. If you are in the middle of a brew session and have a question, forget TT!

That said, I really don't care one way or the other if it stays or goes. If people are so gungho for it then maybe they should have a right to save it. I do think, however, that it is like people clinging to the Telegraph Wire on the advent of the phone. Doesn't make sense to me why so many people seem so hardcore to keep it. My .02. I voted "pantless". 

[MDixon]

I agree with don't care if it stays or go. I never read it unless someone points out something I should see.

[lgharis]

This was discussed at this year's NHC meeting in Minneapolis.  It is old technology that requires someone to spend several hours a week to compile the emails, etc.  It's a cost and efficiency thing, plain and simple.  There are enough forums around for people to get answers to questions in a more direct manner.

[theDarkSide]

Regardless of what the AHA does with respect to TT, I am unsubscribing from it.  I've skimmed it when it appeared in my mailbox but find it very disconnected.  For example, if I missed the question asked on one day, but read the response the next day, it's hard to know what was originally asked if the original email is not included.

Ever since the forum was launched, I've seen TT declining in posts, and sometimes would go days without seeing one. 

I am using the RSS feed for the forum and I see every post in my email.  I then can scan the post, deleting the ones I'm not interested in and open the ones I am.

[bluesman]

I much prefer the dynamic "live effect" of the forum. I also read the TT emails but I could take it or leave it.
The forum has so much more to offer.  It's night and day to me.  I really think the forum wins hands down.
But that's my opinion and you know what they say about opinions. 

[Hokerer]

The only thing I ever found remotely interesting about TT was the headlines.  Once they appeared over here too, goodbye TT.

[Slowbrew]

I won't go through any withdrawal symptoms when TT goes away.  I get the mail everyday and skim the headlines.  I may read one or 2 responses a week but most days I just delete it. It's a format that takes too much effort on everyone's part in my opinion (AHA's time to compile it and my time to handle it in email).

On the other hand the folks who post to TT do seem to spend time making sure what they send is correct, accurate and phrased well.  Not always the case on forums but this one does pretty well in this regard too.

It worked well for quite some time but I, personally, am ready to move on.

Paul

[jeffy]

There is so much outcry on TT to keep it that it would seem counter productive to the causes of the AHA to do away with it.  A huge number of people have written in the past week or so that it is a major part of their subscription.  I'm glad that Drew and the GC is reaching out to try to keep it.
I like it and use it.  I find it more polite and a lot easier, but I'm getting used to the forum.
Honestly if I check for new posts on the forum twice a day, it's a bit overwhelming and time-consuming, but I'm one of those compulsive people that wants to read everything about beer so it's hard to skip stuff.

[denny]

but I'm one of those compulsive people that wants to read everything about beer so it's hard to skip stuff.

I used to be like that, too.  Take it from the voice of experience, you'll get over it!

[jeffy]

Take it from the voice of experience, you'll get over it!

How much experience do you think it'll take?  I've been brewing since 1990, judging with the bjcp since 1995......
So far I've learned to skip some of the BBQ style posts, but that's about it.

[denny]

Take it from the voice of experience, you'll get over it!

How much experience do you think it'll take?  I've been brewing since 1990, judging with the bjcp since 1995......
So far I've learned to skip some of the BBQ style posts, but that's about it.

If you read 6-8 different forums (fora?) a day like I do, you learn to discriminate with your time.

[tankdeer]

Time to put it out to pasture, or should it be Pasteur in this case? 

[garp]

It only takes a few seconds to scan the topics and see what interests you.  As many have already said, TT and the forum serve different purposes.  I see stuff on TT that I wouldnt think to ask about, and look in the forum for specific topics. I've only been brewing for 3 years, and maybe after I've been brewing 20 years, I wont find as much new stuff that interests me, but for me it is still very helpful learning tool.

[stadelman]

TT is behind the times technologically. 

If you wanted to continue this you could do it much more easily with something similar to Yahoo or Google groups.

People would submit questions, comments, etc and the person who formats TT could go through and approve or deny posts.  A Daily digest could be sent to all subscribers.  This would still take some time, but would be a lot more efficient than formatting all of the emails manually.

Having said that, I think forums are a better means of communication. 

It also frees up time for the person who maintains this.  Maybe they are spending it on... expanding the pub discount program.  That's a form of communication I can get behind.