[kwlug disc.] KWLUG - The Kitchener Waterloo Linux User Group new content notification for mail-forum-merge

[Paul Nijjar]

On Wed, 16 May 2007, Unsolicited wrote:

>> it adds a level of communication
>
> But does it?
>
> Isn't this one-way communication, also known as 'speaking', not
> communication? Is this not also the point of the RSS feeds?

 	It is one-way communication. I realize that it may annoy those who 
use the RSS feeds already.

 	I think it does add a level of communication because it prompts 
the list users to respond to good questions that are posted to the site.

> Personally, at least thus far, the web site has felt like a place to
> deposit static content, and the list a place of dynamic interaction.
> Unless / until there is only a single conduit, the web site, is this
> not just the way things are?

 	The problem is that not everybody sees the website as a static 
site. People do ask questions and post comment-worthy topics, and all too 
often they are ignored. That is not fair to the posters and it makes the 
LUG look bad.

 	The reason I feel okay about putting notifications on the mailing 
list without asking anybody is because many of these posts *should* be 
going to the mailing list anyways.

 	I put this up as an experiment. If people hate it and want it 
disabled then that is fine -- I can do that (maybe after some discussion 
or (shudder) a vote). But I think we should try it on for size before 
dismissing it out of hand. I think this has value as a stopgap solution to 
the communication gulf between the mailing list and the website.

 	If we really don't want people posting discussion topics to the 
website then maybe the website needs to change in some ways (removing 
comments and maybe blogs, for example.) Right now the website is sending 
the wrong signals. Otherwise maybe lots of people would like feeds, or 
people would like to enable notifications on their own website accounts.

--
Paul Nijjar - http://www.fairvotecanada.org/WaterlooRegion
Next electoral reform info night: Tuesday June 12, 7pm