Closing up shop

[Cary Karp <ck@NRM.SE>]

MICAT-L was established with the intention of its being of
utility to the musical instrument conservation and museum
communities. Although many people with professional interests in
these areas have joined the list, it has never sustained
protracted discussion of its target subjects. Indeed, the active
members of the list have repeatedly indicated that their primary
interests are anything but museum oriented.

With the anniversary of the list's creation at hand, those whose
bright idea the whole thing initially was have evaluated the
results of their action. We note to our dismay that the MICAT-L
ball, for a variety of reasons, has yet to get rolling. More to
our satisfaction, we note that the museum community has recently
expressed a clear increase of interest in the potential of the
e-mail distribution list medium.

Of most particular consequence is the impending establishment of
a CIMCIM-L distribution list by ICOM's International Musical
Instrument Committee. Also, ICOM's International Conservation
Committee is planning to establish an ICOM-CC-L. These new
lists, together with the long-successful Conservation
Distribution List maintained by Walter Henry, should be able to
address the interests lying behind MICAT-L easily as well as
MICAT-L ever might hope to.

MICAT-L will therefore be terminated as of Friday, August 11.
During the remaining three weeks the list may be used freely for
the discussion of anything relevant to what has been said above.
You will all be provided with details about the new ICOM lists
as they become available. I will leave it up to Walter Henry to
provide whatever information he feels suitable about his
Conservation DistList.

There are also tentative plans for my being given administrative
access to a LISTSERV installation operated by a commercial host
sometime during the next few months. If this materializes I will
set up an unmoderated list for the discussion of the general
concerns of musical instrument makers.

If any of you wish to remove your names from MICAT-L immediately
you may do so by addressing a request to

     listserv@nrm.se

containing the command

     SIGNOFF MICAT-L

You must use the LISTSERV address, only. If you address the
request to MICAT-L or to me personally it will be ignored.

Thank you all for your participation in MICAT-L. I hope that
those of you who join the other lists find them to be of true
utility.

Cary Karp <ck@nrm.se>