Python Forum

[D'Arcy J.M. Cain]

On Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:17:39 +1000
Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
> So you say. For the interface to be “better” it needs to keep the good
> features of the existing interface. I include among the good features of
> Usenet:

That's a great list of features.  But they all apply to mailing lists as
well.

> * No need for creating a new identity; my email address is enough.

Obviously true for mailing lists.

> * No need for balkanising my identity; messages cross to all
>   participating Usenet servers.

Ditto.  Also, good word.  I usually use "ghetto" when talking about FB,
MS, etc.  Same idea.

> * Forums are kept distinct, but the easy option to cross-post is there
>   when appropriate.

Ditto although I'm not sure that this is a feature.  Mailing lists
sometimes have options to prevent this which might be a good thing.  In
any case, it's nice to be able to choose on a list by list basis.

> * The forums don't live in any single server or organisation, and new
>   servers in different organisations can be added to carry the load of
>   distributed messaging, so there is no machine nor organisation acting
>   as single point of failure.

As with mailing lists but MLs allow even better distribution.  With
Usenet the hubs still have to carry every group.  With mailing lists
only the servers involved need to carry it.  I guess the trade-off with
mailling lists is that you get one point of failure for a particular ML
but distribute the load much better.

> * A single program allows me to subscribe to one, dozens, hundreds, or
>   thousands of forums, and use exactly the same interface to participate
>   two-way in all of them.

Yes.  This is probably my second biggest issue with forums.
Ghettoization (balkanization) is number one.

> * I can replace that single program with any other program that follows
>   the open standards, and the same messaging interface applies exactly.

With mail that is also true.  In addition, its a program that you
already have if you have email.

> Where is the “much better interface” that improves on all of that?

I have always been a big fan of Usenet.  I was using it back when you
could subscribe and almost read every group.  For a while I was
a hub and downloaded the entire distribution to my little home
computer.  Binaries, what the heck is that? But I just gave it up a long
time ago.  Mailing lists just made so much more sense to me.  I now run
a number of mailing lists.  I can't even run a news server on my own
little ISP any more and have to contract out.

In fact, my biggest complaint with this mailing list is that it
gateways to Usenet.  That's where most of the spam on this list comes
from albeit the bulk of that is Google groups which I can easily filter
out.

By the way, what is the generic term for Usenet groups, mailing lists
and forums?  They all have a common overall purpose and it seems as if
there should be a word.

Hey, we could all go back to FIDO-Net.  :-)

-- 
D'Arcy J.M. Cain <darcy at druid.net>         |  Democracy is three wolves
http://www.druid.net/darcy/                |  and a sheep voting on
+1 416 425 1212     (DoD#0082)    (eNTP)   |  what's for dinner.