Re: [ATM] Time to change the list format?

[Richard Ozer <rozer@pacbell.net>]

1) Ken said distribution by mailing list wouldn't end.
2) Same answer as above
3) Good point on volume. Could definitely be an issue.
4) Browser compatibility is probably less of an issue now than a few years ago.. Pretty 
much a non issue these days when using open source forum products.
5) Spam filtering should definitely be a requirement. Good point.
6) Sloth -- one of the seven deadly sins.  Again, mail list distribution will be 
available still for those who hate web interfaces.
7) I'm not convinced off topic postings would be much different in qty. as a result of 
moving to a forum format.
8) Definitely true regarding failure modes.  The more pieces in the puzzle, the more 
that can go wrong.

All excellent considerations...

--  and there's no fight left in this Dog ;-)

Woodchuck wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Mar 2006, Richard Ozer wrote:
> 
> 
>>I really can't think of a down side to this...
>>
> 
> Downsides:
> 1) If distribution by mailing list is ended, then all those with
> various client-side email processing and private archiving are
> out of "business".
> 2) Necessity of being online to read messages.  Some pay by the
> hour or byte. Some live in households with only a single phone
> line, needed for incoming calls.
> 3) Volume might swell by an order of magnitude due to HTML laming,
> and posting of endless, huge images (which might only interest a few).
> 4) Browser issues.
> 5) Spamming.
> 6) The incredible sloth of reading text and navigating through it
> with a mouse.  Only those with DSL or fast connections will profit
> from browsing on-line vs reading text-msgs offline, as God intends.
> 7) An increased tendency for off-topic posting, and an increased
> tendency to stretch threads out far beyond the end of information
> addition. (Diminishing returns).
> 8) New failure modes, probably need for active admin(s) with all
> that may imply.
> 
> I have no dog in this fight.
> 
> Dave
> 
> _______________________________________________
> ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/
> 
_______________________________________________
ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/