At 9:30 PM -0700 6/11/98, P Kayak wrote:
> extreme. However I agree with his post. Am very surprised to hear you
> saying virtually all people with SMTP have a browser handy wherever they
> are.
Why? Because it's not a popular or traditional view?
> Some LANs have limited bandwidth; where the only way a person gets out
> is with text.
>
> (1) Virtually no registered complaints, does *not* prove (2) people aren't
> getting frustrated. It does not prove no one's getting passed by.
There are no 100% solutions. Not even email lists. Really. So the
question is knowing your community and how best to serve them.
Are people getting passed by? sure. There are people who have trouble
signing up for mail lists, too, although I've worked hard to minimize
that, too. And my user base is more than happy to let me know if I've
split an infinitive in my documentation. I feel pretty safe that if
significant numbers of them were being locked out, I'd hear about that,
too.
> part of a minority at large somewhat under 10%; but your reasoning at some
> points is like, "With our 90%, we've GOT what we need. Forget about those
> alternative funny-looking ones."
Well, my number's a lot higher than 90%, but at some level that's true.
again, there are simply not 100% solutions. It's stupid to lock people
out unneccesarily. it's ALSO stupid to give up useful technology
advances in the name of empowering increasingly tiny percentages of
your user base, especially if those people don't particularly care in
the first place...
> Sorry for the language; just trying to make my point. I've always in the
> past had to agree w y'r posts.
No prob.
But... There are always casualties when technology paradigms shift. If
only because some folks choose to stay behind. I have nothing against
the Amish, and have a lot of respect for them -- but I personally
wouldn't choose to live like them. Neither do I feel, despite almost 20
years of Internet and mail list operation, beholden to continue
operating lists the way we've done it all that time, just because
that's how we've done it. I don't run a gopher server any more, either.
It's stupid to throw out what you have just because it's old -- but
it's also wrong to NOT replace it when technology and societal changes
make replacing it appropriate. Someone has to look forward and break
trail, and that's what I'm doing. And whenever someone goes new places,
there are always people telling us not to go because we'll get eaten by
a bear.
maybe I will. But I'll enjoy the scenery along the way. And if this
stuff works, everyone will benefit. And if not, people will still learn
from it, I hope, and figure out how to improve it the next time someone
breaks a trail. But things have changed on the net, and technologies
have matured (and are maturing as we speak) in ways that make me
convinced it's time to start working on the net "thing".
Use what you're comfortable with. Use what works. There's no reason not
to, but don't be closed to change when it makes sense.
--
Chuq Von Rospach (Hockey fan? <http://www.plaidworks.com/hockey/>)
Apple Mail List Gnome (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Plaidworks Consulting (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
<http://www.plaidworks.com/> + <http://www.lists.apple.com/>
