I think using mailing-lists is really painful sometimes.
I thought about this multiple times sometime ago and now after I got two fresh examples(2nd) I think it is time to blog about.
So what causes my pain when I use mailing-lists?
It is not the fact to follow a discussion or writing to it.
It is the preferred way of using email for the synchronizing posts and threads.
Maybe the UseNet with its “out of fashion” NNTP-Protocol or even the “old” UUCP where better in at least one point: You can download the archive, contribute to discussions that are started long before your first subscription and always follow the thread-tree.
So what should we do? Switch back to Usenet with all out discussions? Which new tools we can use to manage discussions? What are the requirements for a good discussion toolchain?
Here are some requirements i see in first place.
1. Easy To Use (ok, email is a clear winner in this field)
2. Subscription-Phase (For me this is mostly :”registering for unmoderated posting”)
3. Spam-Prevention
a) through managing the Subscription-Phase with a moderator
b) through moderating Posts from users that
4. Keeping Discussions Thread (comprehensible Follow-Ups)
So what about git/mercurial or any other DVCS?
We got trees, predecessor objects and got superb synchronizing work-flows.
We can inject moderator-functions like in code-review systems.
We can label threads with tag-names(this can replace crosspostings).
We can use cryptography for authentication for registered users (like githubs)
Am i missing something? Why nobody has build this yet? Is there a good reason I don’t see, or haven’t I found it?
Comments are always welcome.
–Sebastian
