Python Forum

[Ben Finney]

"D'Arcy J.M. Cain" <darcy at druid.net> writes:

> 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.

Not quite, though mailing lists certainly have good uses. I agree that
mailing lists share some of the features I listed, but not all. The
points where I disagree are:

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

No, since with many mailing lists I must maintain an identity separately
for the specific mailing list: a username + password pair. Sometimes
the username is the email address, which helps; but having to maintain
the identity (or opt out and stupidly use the same password at multiple
sites) is a worse option than Usenet.

So some mailing lists pass, but most fail on this feature.

> > * 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.

Having the option is the feature; it's certainly true that the option
should be exercised only sparingly. But it's not something that should
be prevented by default.

> > * 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.

Not even remotely true. Mailing list transport and archiving is
generally maintained at a single site. With Usenet forums, these tasks
are distributed between all participating machines, in different nations
and organisations. Archives are not kept indefinitely in all cases, but
in many cases.

So mailing lists fail this feature.

> 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.

Right. I'm not saying that there aren't trade-offs; I'm addressing only
the claim that “much better interfaces” exist.

> 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.

There is a good word: “forum”. That covers any place (even virtual
places) where people congregate to discuss on an agreed topic. Just
because a new kind of forum has appeared, it doesn't have any special
claim to the word. The existing forums are still forums.

-- 
 \        “The fact of your own existence is the most astonishing fact |
  `\    you'll ever have to confront. Don't dare ever see your life as |
_o__)     boring, monotonous or joyless.” —Richard Dawkins, 2010-03-10 |
Ben Finney