Dick Heckman wrote:

> Joe Sallustio wrote:
>> On Dec 27, 9:55 pm, jim >
>> wrote:
>>> On Dec 27, 10:45 pm,
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Exactly, People have learned how to do
>>>> searches. I assume that is the
>>>> reason also. It's very rare a "new" question
>>>> is posted and just as rare that a "new"
>>>> answer will be given. Bob
>>>> On Dec 27, 5:41 pm,
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> On Dec 20, 4:46 am, Joe Sallustio
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>> On Dec 19, 6:25 pm, Dick Heckman
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>> It seems that there is much less activity
>>>>>>> here lately. Are folks moving elsewhere?
>>>>>>> dick
>>>>>> This is the original winemaking newsgroup,
>>>>>> it's been around for close
>>>>>> to 15 years. To be honest, it's not only
>>>>>> spawned a lot of other groups but most
>>>>>> questions have been asked and answered many
>>>>>> times. The groups was much more active
>>>>>> years ago, but that is where a lot of
>>>>>> questions got answered. I might be willing
>>>>>> to bet there are close to a thousand posts
>>>>>> on cleaning/ removing labels from bottles
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> example. There really aren't that many
>>>>>> ways to do that and I can guarantee all of
>>>>>> them have already been explored here. I'm
>>>>>> not saying it's outlived it's usefulness,
>>>>>> just that there are
>>>>>> other groups out there now answering all
>>>>>> these questions, again. So
>>>>>> 'dilution' is occurring...
>>>>>> Joe
>>>>> I agree with Joe.
>>>>> You can search almost any wine making
>>>>> question within this group and you will find
>>>>> pages of relative info. I search first and
>>>>> if I don't find the info/help I need, then I
>>>>> will post a question. Why post if the info
>>>>> you need has been discussed multiple times.
>>>>> I think some of the folks that have been
>>>>> around this site for awhile probably get
>>>>> tired of the same old questions all the
>>>>> time. That said, this is a great group and a
>>>>> wealth of information and if you don't like
>>>>> to search and would rather post questions, I
>>>>> bet you will still get some discussion.
>>>>> Happy Holidays! Jesse
>>> I kind of agree and kind of don't.
>>>
>>> Many people use the news-reader portion of
>>> outlook express. Unless their newsgroup
>>> provider has unlimited retention and was there
>>> before the start of this wine-making group
>>> they wouldn't be able to find the
>>> messages in their news-client. They might not
>>> realise (as I didn't till the middle of this
>>> year) that they could search the entire (I
>>> think) archive on Google. Also, different
>>> practices and materials and equipment arises
>>> from time to time, so it is on occasion worth
>>> revisiting.
>>>
>>> I agree in general though - Hide quoted text
>>> -
>>>
>>> - Show quoted text -
>>
>> Oh yeah, you can get the original posts from
>> when they started the group in Usenet back in
>> 1993 on Google's archives. I probably have at
>> least 50 books on wine and winemaking but
>> probably learned more here
>> on this group. You can never beat first hand
>> experience. Google is amazing, you can read
>> 100 year old winemaking books now if you want
>> to...
>>
>> Joe
>>
>
> I've just noticed that in the last year the post
> volume seemed to drop
> pretty drastically. I've been lurking most of
> the time for quite a few
> years and copying posts that I found valuable.
> I'm not all that
> computer literate and never thought to search
> google. I just like to see what folks are
> thinking about wine and winemaking from time to
> time.
> I've made fruit wines when the fruit was
> available and I felt like it
> for about 30 yrs. I've never worried about
> recipes etc other than making sure I had a
> reasonable SG at start and a decent wine yeast.
> I've never had a real failure.
>
> I've planted a few vines now and in a couple of
> years maybe I'll have
> some grape wines. The frost in the Southeast
> last spring knocked my vines in a cocked hat and
> I'm almost starting over.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dick

Hang in there Dick. I lost 90% of my fruiting
buds during the Easter week freezes but this was
a first time happening for me. The other
vineyards around here fared much better and it
was a vintage year. I think I am in my own
little micro climate (on a slope near a ravine)
Growing grapes can be very rewarding as well as
very frustrating at times but once the bug hits
you, you will enjoy.