6 ms·

Mailing Lists: What’s Wrong With Them, and How Can We Fix Them? [pdf]

27 points by Errorcod3 11y ago

aw3c2 11y ago
Oh, it is so tempting to reply with "PDF files: What's Wrong With Them, and How Can We Fix Them". There, I did it. Here is a 30 second summary of the paper from one of the authors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0U7-BiWHw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0U7-BiWHw
- JadeNB 11y ago
  Would you rather watch a 30-second video than read a paper? If I come across even a mildly interesting PDF, I read it immediately or download it for later. If I come across any but the most fascinating video, I usually move on. I hate being forced to get information from videos. (I am not claiming that my experience is universal, just that, I think, neither is the one you seem implicitly to be describing.)
  - aw3c2 11y ago
    Nah, I prefer a single column website. To me PDFs are for printing, especially such paper formats.
hellbanner 11y ago
They've changed little in 44 years because they've worked, for 44 years. One of the "tensions" they claimed about push-vs-pull is a client-side issue, not the email technology itself. If you use a mailing list for critical emergencies, everyone should be using push. Otherwise the consumer can decide. Another one of their tensions, debating type & quality of message -- several mailing lists I've participated in have spun off subsequent mailing lists to discuss in detail topics (eg. a mesh network discussion on a developer list) or moved to private conversations. It's good that mailing lists are open and people can talk about random topics -- that's what a forum is for. Good clients let you mute or block people you don't like to hear from.
- ams6110 11y ago
  Some other advantages: Almost no assumptions about the technology stack, platform, OS, etc. of the participants; no need to create yet another account on yet another service in order to participate; no need to expose anything about yourself other than your email address.

6 ms·

Mailing Lists: What’s Wrong With Them, and How Can We Fix Them? [pdf]

27 points by Errorcod3 11y ago

aw3c2 11y ago
Oh, it is so tempting to reply with "PDF files: What's Wrong With Them, and How Can We Fix Them". There, I did it. Here is a 30 second summary of the paper from one of the authors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0U7-BiWHw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0U7-BiWHw
- JadeNB 11y ago
  Would you rather watch a 30-second video than read a paper? If I come across even a mildly interesting PDF, I read it immediately or download it for later. If I come across any but the most fascinating video, I usually move on. I hate being forced to get information from videos. (I am not claiming that my experience is universal, just that, I think, neither is the one you seem implicitly to be describing.)
  - aw3c2 11y ago
    Nah, I prefer a single column website. To me PDFs are for printing, especially such paper formats.
hellbanner 11y ago
They've changed little in 44 years because they've worked, for 44 years. One of the "tensions" they claimed about push-vs-pull is a client-side issue, not the email technology itself. If you use a mailing list for critical emergencies, everyone should be using push. Otherwise the consumer can decide. Another one of their tensions, debating type & quality of message -- several mailing lists I've participated in have spun off subsequent mailing lists to discuss in detail topics (eg. a mesh network discussion on a developer list) or moved to private conversations. It's good that mailing lists are open and people can talk about random topics -- that's what a forum is for. Good clients let you mute or block people you don't like to hear from.
- ams6110 11y ago
  Some other advantages: Almost no assumptions about the technology stack, platform, OS, etc. of the participants; no need to create yet another account on yet another service in order to participate; no need to expose anything about yourself other than your email address.