Nick wrote:

||||| large snip

|| I have carried out my own non-scientific research - asking users
|| that participate why they joined the group, how long it took them
|| before noticing the group and joining it, asking in UK web-based
|| boating forums why people don't post to u.r.b.power, asking those
|| who post to the US biased rec.boats why they don't post to
|| uk.rec.boats.power. And without exception, every single person that
|| expressed an opinion said that the name .power had put them off -
|| they thought it was a racing group. Those that did subscribe did so
|| because they couldn't find one that dealt with motor boats and it
|| was that or nothing. Of course I now risk someone turning round and
|| saying "that's rubbish, I like it the way it is" but that is what I
|| have found since I first started looking into it around 8 months
|| ago.

Although you didn't ask me, I am one of those as you describe. I've been
involved with motor boating (in one way or another) for many years, but the
"power" in the NG name put me off - images of mega-horsepower single-purpose
craft and b*lls-out racing. To a UK English speaker, "powerboating" and
"motorboating" are very different things. It was a while before I started
reading the group and realised there were a lot of people like me -
cruising, fishing, amateur mechanics etc. The traffic is disappointingly
light, but I'm not surprised if my approach was typical. Only one way to
find out...

I support the proposal.


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Rich
Tiggrr - V8 trialler
RR 4.6HSE