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

[Bernard Maugoust <maugoust@free.fr>]

In message <Pine.LNX.4.44.0603131315460.23817-100000@uno.canit.se>, 
 Dominic-Luc Webb <dlwebb@canit.se> wrote (in reply to Vladimir G.):

> 
> > We all pay to phone companies and to ISP.
> > What is your point. Nobody gets it free.
> 
> I think I understood pretty well. Not everyone pays by the
> minute for telephone connects (e.g., most Americans). Where
> I live, we pay by the minute and in some cases by the bit.
> 
> 
> > My point is that broadband today is cheaper
> 
> Where I am, broadband is considerably more expensive than
> a dialup.

May I add that even here where I live in France broadband isn't available
yet, and when it becomes, I'm not sure at all I will opt for it, and
could well remain on dialup for some more time.
  
> > Arguing on the base of what was before is not
> > realistic approach to the discussion of advancing
> > the list technologies.
> >
> > Regards
> > Vladimir.
> 
> 
> May I ask exactly what specific technologies you feel are missing
> at present? I have not noted missing anything. We are very
> effectively getting text-based info across the World at minimal cost
> and with minimal software or hardware requirements. This seems
> like a real success story. This list is currently accessible with very
> old computers and software. I am concerned that some of our users
> will end up with hardships accessing this list if we start making
> unnecessary changes, especially switching to a browser-based format.
> I think many of us have encountered browser errors like "This webpage
> can only be accessed by Windows Internet Explorer version xyz" and
> similar bugs. We should not be bothered with such things.

I'll second that, knowing that I may count for close to nought as I don't
contribute very often. The point is that having such a convenient access to
the list *as it is now* I learn much from it and I thank here all who share
their knowledge. Fact is I stopped going online to *browse* a french forum
(astrosurf.com) because it's a web only thing, even though some guys on
there are famous worldwide. Now, if the next whatever move for the list keeps
an email access, *and* can strip off all the html bells and whistles before
translating contributions for email subscribers, why not? but see below,
 
> Given the huge success so far, any change should require an
> extremely good reason.

Yep, even splitting the list into several topics isn't felt as a necessity at
my end. We end up most of the time with quite meaningful subject lines,
meaning we can skip easily trough unwanted topics, and posts don't go that
often wildly OT, or into silly name calling fights seen elsewhere on Usenet.
The ATM list is pretty astounding as it stands right now. I just guess that
remaining an exception gets harder and harder in this world...

My 2 (euro) cents anyway.

Cheers all,

Bernard

-- 
Bernard Maugoust 3°59'E 44°28'N

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