It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? Their many advantages over mailing lists include: - Easier searching for existing solutions. - Fine-grained control over email notifications. - The ability to display prominent explanation of what support can be expected. ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On Sat, 8 Oct 2016 17:49:15 -0400 Alex Oren wrote: > Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? Comes to me automatically, I don't have to visit a forum. -- Brian ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 08/10/16 22:49, Alex Oren wrote: Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? Their many advantages over mailing lists include: - Easier searching for existing solutions. - Fine-grained control over email notifications. - The ability to display prominent explanation of what support can be expected. This subject produces very polarised response whenever it comes up on other mailing lists, but from my point of view: - I can afford to be on a lot more mailing lists that forums (with forums you have to go and visit each one to see if there are updates); - mailing lists provide a consistent user interface; - although possibly not an issue with Pidgin, forums tend to result in fragmentation, as people tend to belong to just one forum, and forums are often advertising funded, so their operators tend to have an incentive to get people to use their forum, rather than any other forum covering the subject, exacerbating that fragmentation; - forums don't allow you to maintain an offline archive that you can search and search tools for them are often not very effective; - forums cannot be read offline Also if you are going to assume that there is one direction of progress, shouldn't be you calling for Web RTC speech connections on the grounds that forums are noughties technology (difficult without a paid for contact centre, of course), but it does make the point that support channels need to match those providing the support. In my view, a lot of, so called, progress, is really either fashion or driven by commercial considerations (e.g., as noted above, forums allow advertising funding, and from the point of view of forum hosters, are often seen purely as means of delivering advertising). ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 08-10-2016 18:35, David Woolley wrote: On 08/10/16 22:49, Alex Oren wrote: Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? Their many advantages over mailing lists include: - Easier searching for existing solutions. - Fine-grained control over email notifications. - The ability to display prominent explanation of what support can be expected. This subject produces very polarised response whenever it comes up on other mailing lists, but from my point of view: I would like to comment on your points. But before I do, please keep in mind that I am advocating the use of a forum for the SUPPORT mailing list, which is supposed to be open for a wide array of users, who cannot be assumed to be technically savvy, familiar with nettiquette, etc. - I can afford to be on a lot more mailing lists that forums (with forums you have to go and visit each one to see if there are updates); No, you do not. The forum software can be configured to send email notifications for responses to the threads you are following, as well as for new posts in the sub-forums that you are interested in, including the full text of the message. So in effect you can treat them as a mailing list but with finer control, with the only "inconvenience" of having to click a link when you want to reply. And, contrary to mailing lists, I can choose not to be sent replies to threads I am not interested in. - mailing lists provide a consistent user interface; See above. Plus, core BBCode is standard across most (if not all) forum software. - although possibly not an issue with Pidgin, forums tend to result in fragmentation, as people tend to belong to just one forum, and forums are often advertising funded, so their operators tend to have an incentive to get people to use their forum, rather than any other forum covering the subject, exacerbating that fragmentation; This is completely irrelevant to the Pidgin support list. - forums don't allow you to maintain an offline archive that you can search and search tools for them are often not very effective; 1. Forums that are configured to send email notifications (with full text) offer the same offline capabilities as a mailing list. 2. To the casual user, forums offer VASTLY superior searching functionality compared to email archives - forums cannot be read offline And https://pidgin.im/pipermail/support/ can? Also if you are going to assume that there is one direction of progress I don't give a rodent's posterior about "directions of progress". My argument is not ideological but practical: during the short time I have been on this list, several people asked about Pidgin on mobile, others wanted support with their providers, and yet others had questions that could be easily avoided if there was a decent and friendly way to view and/or search old threads (and no, Google with site:pidgin.im does not qualify). And let's not forget about users that hit "reply" instead of "reply all", and the emails admonishing them for doing so. I am not arguing against mailing lists in general, and it may as well be the best tool for the job for the DEVELOPER list, but it does not appear to be the case for the SUPPORT list. Best regards, Alex ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 08-10-2016 18:23, Brian Morrison wrote: On Sat, 8 Oct 2016 17:49:15 -0400 Alex Oren wrote: Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? Comes to me automatically, I don't have to visit a forum. Email notifications (with full text). ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
RE: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
Alexoren wrote: > No, you do not. The forum software can be configured to send email > notifications for responses to the threads you are following, as well as for > new > posts in the sub-forums that you are interested in, including the full text > of the > message. So in effect you can treat them as a mailing list but with finer > control, > with the only "inconvenience" of having to click a link when you want to > reply. Not even that. Configuring replies over email is just a small technical detail. "mail list" and "forum" are just two interfaces to the same thing: a collection of discussions (threads) about a common theme (pidgin support). Not very popular, but some , ugh... systems are doing exactly that. The content can be accessed as a mail list or as a (web based) forum. Also, in my experience, there is an order of magnitude more trolling on forums than on mailing lists. Regards, David ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
In my experience, *very* few forums do a good job of gatewaying email to a forum, on the forum side nobody quotes properly (and definitely never trims), threading rarely works even for reading, and it eventually becomes unpleasant to even attempt to help users. From fields are almost universally lost, you usually just get a dream of "Fancypants forum message!" from fields. (Who cares about a From field? If I see another experienced helper assisting, I won't bother to see if an issue was resolved unless the topic interests me. If I only see "Me too!" posts, it's a topic that needs attention.) More importantly, nearly every case I've seen where an active community of technically inclined helpers assist novice users moves from a mailing list to a forum, many/most of the helpers don't go with it, leaving the forums a barren wasteland of users begging for help and receiving nothing, while the technical users often follow dozens of lists and can't be bothered with terrible, slow and different forum interfaces. For those who don't understand the difference in interface, and the importance of consistency, sit down with a maillist power user, you'll find a lot of us can flip through dozens of messages at nearly the speed we read, moving to the next message or skipping to another thread with a literal touch of a button. Forums? You scroll, wait for your focus to find the top of the next message (no, it's not going to be at the top of your screen in a forum, yes it is in my own client of choice). Moving between messages sometimes requires clicks (which requires reaching a mouse, targeting a button, clicking, waiting, waiting, waiting), moving between threads always does. All minor things, but they add up to a cognitive load and time-suck, neither of which are pluses. Or maybe that's just me. At my peak I was actively reading over 200 mailing lists and newsgroups, actively participating in and contributing to at least 100 on a weekly basis and virtually all on a semi-regular (monthly) basis. Some I just read for information. Sometimes I'd follow the -dev list so that I could be up to date and help users on the -support list. Although I've actively curtailed my mailing list habits due to other time commitments, I still try to help users when my skills would be useful. I follow exactly two forums, and contribute less than monthly because the time and pain factor just isn't worth it. Users might prefer forums, but the folks who volunteer their time to help, especially on lower profile open-source products, seem to prefer the efficiency of controlling their own interfaces and email (and newsgroups) are beautiful for that. Personally, I'd rather focus on ease of use and efficiency for those answering questions rather than those asking as there are nearly always more users asking than answering, and if those answering go away, so ends it all. ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 08/10/2016 23:35, David Woolley wrote: > On 08/10/16 22:49, Alex Oren wrote: >> Are there any compelling reasons not to use an internet forum? >> >> Their many advantages over mailing lists include: >> - Easier searching for existing solutions. >> - Fine-grained control over email notifications. >> - The ability to display prominent explanation of what support can be >> expected. > > This subject produces very polarised response whenever it comes up on > other mailing lists, but from my point of view: > > - I can afford to be on a lot more mailing lists that forums (with > forums you have to go and visit each one to see if there are updates); > - mailing lists provide a consistent user interface; > - although possibly not an issue with Pidgin, forums tend to result in > fragmentation, as people tend to belong to just one forum, and forums > are often advertising funded, so their operators tend to have an > incentive to get people to use their forum, rather than any other > forum covering the subject, exacerbating that fragmentation; > - forums don't allow you to maintain an offline archive that you can > search and search tools for them are often not very effective; > - forums cannot be read offline > > Also if you are going to assume that there is one direction of > progress, shouldn't be you calling for Web RTC speech connections on > the grounds that forums are noughties technology (difficult without a > paid for contact centre, of course), but it does make the point that > support channels need to match those providing the support. > > In my view, a lot of, so called, progress, is really either fashion or > driven by commercial considerations (e.g., as noted above, forums > allow advertising funding, and from the point of view of forum > hosters, are often seen purely as means of delivering advertising). Well said. Mail lists work. They aren't broken and don't need fixing. -- Mark Rousell ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 09/10/2016 01:16, pid...@alexoren.com wrote: > No, you do not. The forum software can be configured to send email > notifications for responses to the threads you are following, as well > as for new posts in the sub-forums that you are interested in, > including the full text of the message. So in effect you can treat > them as a mailing list but with finer control, with the only > "inconvenience" of having to click a link when you want to reply. Unfortunately most forum software does not allow replies to be sent by email. This means, as others have pointed out, that one of the key problems with forums is that they require users to actually visit them to actually participate (rather than merely consume other people's discussions by email). I am a member of a great many mailing lists but only a few forums. The dynamics of community connection differ between mail lists and forums due to the practical technical differences. I'd personally be in favour of a web forum if, and only if, it allowed two way email communications into discussions hosted within it, such that mail list functionality was integrated with it. This is certainly technically possible. Does any free or very easily affordable forum software provide this feature (i.e. two way integration with something like Mailman)? -- Mark Rousell ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support
Re: It's 2016, why are we still using mailing lists?
On 13/10/2016 02:24, Dave Warren wrote: > More importantly, nearly every case I've seen where an active community > of technically inclined helpers assist novice users moves from a mailing > list to a forum, many/most of the helpers don't go with it, leaving the > forums a barren wasteland of users begging for help and receiving > nothing, while the technical users often follow dozens of lists and > can't be bothered with terrible, slow and different forum interfaces. This. Community fragmentation is always a risk when changing the underlying technical infrastructure for the community. > For those who don't understand the difference in interface, and the > importance of consistency, sit down with a maillist power user [...] > and > if those answering go away, so ends it all. All of the above is my experience too. -- Mark Rousell ___ Support@pidgin.im mailing list Want to unsubscribe? Use this link: https://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support