[H-GEN] Re: [H-DSIG] software runs the world
Bruce Campbell
bc at humbug.org.au
Mon Mar 21 08:55:35 EST 2005
On Mon, 21 Mar 2005, Raymond Smith wrote:
> > > On Fri, 19 Mar 2005, Russell Stuart wrote:
> > > > BTW, it is my imagination, or is there a general movement
> > > > away from mailing lists such as this to blogs and rss feeds
> > > > as the vehicle for on-line discussion?
>
> There
> are certainly fewer flame wars on this list than in the past
In retrospect, the slow-down of flames on the humbug lists has a lot more
to do with the growing maturity of the majority of the long-time list
subscribers. Collectively, we're like the old couple who no longer care
that their flannels aren't as flashy as the Joneses[1].
> And certainly blogs are a lot better than ye olde personal home
> page for getting a feel for what people are up to. I find it
> quite enjoyable to read the random thoughts of people I know.
> In fact, are blogs really that much more than a personal homepage
> with a simple update mechanism and a pull event channel?
There are four factors that make recent (we)blogs so popular. One is the
interface used to update it. No more running up a text editor and knowing
the basics of HTML to have an 'online' blog. It can all be done through
your web browser, and as the web browser is nearly always open, recording
your thoughts as they happen is easy.
The second is the poor-man's usenet interface. Unless you really care
about something, you aren't going to continually hit reload at a given
website to see updates, particularly if you've got 30 or more sites to
visit. But, telling your web browser (or RSS-headline app) to 'watch this
page and tell me when it updates' is a trivial thing to do.
Third? I can (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=can) put
(http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/sport/rheolymp2.htm) multiple links
(http://www.beijingthc.com/conveyor_chain/welded_steel_mill_chains.htm)
into my postings (http://www.hino.com.au/nw/images/na9904a1.jpg), just to
prove a sensible point (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099177/), or even put
up a completely unrelated picture
(http://www.kidzworld.com/img/upload/article/a555i0_gg.jpg) .
The fourth, and perhaps the most important, is the illusion of anonymity.
Sending your email address off to a third party so they can send you email
whenever something updates? Aieeeee, what happens if that subscription
list is exposed, or if I change my address? I'll never remember the
subscription details of every list.
But having my program be one of a horde of thousands periodically fetching
a page, and when I move computers, all I need are my bookmarks? Wow, sign
me up for that! Its so much easier, and all I need is a web browser; no
heavy-weight mail application, and no old fuddy-duddys going on about
proper adherence to internet standards and netiquiette.
> On Fri, Mar 18, 2005 at 10:26:34PM -0500, Jason Parker-Burlingham wrote:
> > It seems to me that web-based discussion forums have removed most of the
> > advantages of mailing lists and USENET without offering anything of true
> > value for the kinds of discussions that many people want to have.
>
> I think this is just one of many instances of 'web technology'
> being used as a Golden Hammer of questionable utility.
There is a bright side. Once those with attention spans more suited to
watching reality tv shows leave into blog lands, mailing lists will once
again be the preserve of serious discussion. Look, theres a Dancing
Monkey over there[2].
--==--
Bruce.
[1] Yes, it should be " Jones' ".
[2]
http://archive.humbug.org.au/humbug-general/blog
http://archive.humbug.org.au/humbug-general/rss
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