[ale] sub-lists (was: Re: [ale] OT: Taxing issues)

[Kevin Krumwiede]

On Tue, 2002-04-23 at 18:08, Joseph A Knapka wrote:

> the topic: wouldn't it be cool if there were mailing-
> list software (that was open-source, and ran on
> Linux) that would let you create temporary mailing
> lists for subthreads like this? Does such a thing
> exist? I'm imagining a scenario where anyone could

The protocol for using it could be simple enough: if a message subject
is prefixed with "OT:" it would be sent to the list as usual, but it
would also generate a sub-list.  Subsequent messages in the thread would
only be sent to persons who replied to the original message.

The trouble with this is that the second person to join the sub-list
would not see the response of the first person to join, and so forth.

Also, OT threads sometimes don't get interesting until much later in the
conversation. :)

Personally, I don't have a problem with OT threads in mailing lists. 
The old excuses for restricting them don't hold water anymore --
bandwidth and processing power aren't the precious commodities they used
to be.  Is there any reason for mailing list software not to carry more
of the load when it comes to threading and user preferences?  And is
there any reason for people to complain if they don't?

All subscribers to this list have a few things in common.  Obviously, we
all take the road less traveled when it comes to our choice of
software.  We're also presumably all from the Atlanta area, yet for the
most part we only know each other through ALE.  That alone is reason
enough to let people carry on about subjects that concern them.  This is
more than just a Linux help desk, it's a real community.

(Or maybe I'm just having flashbacks to the days when the sysop of my
favorite board hosted pot-lucks.  It was neat to see the folks who just
got done flaming each other in the Politics & Religion forum sit down to
what felt like thanksgiving dinner with the family.)

(Hey, are we still gonna have an ALE BBQ?)

(Man, I'm hungry all of a sudden.)

Krum


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