Björn-
Why I prefer BBS:es:
1. Discussion is closer to content because both are
webbased.
Define "closer"- an "Alt+Tab" gets me to my email client, a
"Ctrl+Tab"
gets me to another browser window. If you use a suite like Mozilla mail
and web are integrated. You yourself mentioned webmail -- if you want to
use that, you're free to do so. Ironically, the interface arguments
against webmail are also applicable to BBS.
2. Threads can be followed more easily. There is no
way that a
mailprogam can figure out in which thread this reply belongs to for
example because I use digest mode.
Sure, but you'd never have something equivalent to digest mode in the
first place when using a BBS :-). Besides, even if you reply to a digest,
you should always use the proper subject line -- MIME digests make this
easy, and may also preserve message references (not sure).
3. I can edit my post after it has been written, if
that feature is
desireable. This also means that post publishing moderation will be
easier which is preferable to prepublishing that a mailinglist requires.
If you want editable comments, use a wiki. Whether post-moderation is
preferable to pre-moderation is debatable, I for one think the exact
opposite is the case: Pre-moderation reduces the amount of unnecessary
content members are exposed to, and also the amount of public discussion
about the moderation.
4. How does this look?:
[crapquote snipped]
Highly nested quotes always get ugly, no matter which quoting system you
use. Yes, many mail clients unfortunately do not follow standards, esp. MS
Outlook. But you get the same phenomenon with BBS: Users will quote in
different styles, some using the built in quoting mechanism, others
quoting manually, others not at all. Mix those and it gets ugly -- I've
seen it.
5. From time to time there comes someone who replies
to the whole digest
without deleting anything.
Users acting stupidly is a problem you will have with any system. If you
want to avoid digest-associated nuisances, disable digest delivery.
6. I dont have to read "Do you have Yahoo?"
2,000,000 times.
Ignore it, or write a filter. It's just plaintext -- I could care less.
Those annoying Flash banners on some bulletin boards, on the other hand ..
7. Many users use the Internet at work or school where
they dont have
access to mail only to the web.
If you have access to the web, you have access to mail. If you have access
to the machine, you have access to an email client.
8. Using webmail like Hotmail is not fun to read
mailinglists on. Your
mailbox fills up with spam instantly
Depends on the freemail provider used. I have used GMX for ages without
getting spam. My regular home mail account on the other hand is full of
spam. But there are filters for these things, whereas a BBS hardly
provides any filtering options.
and the interfaces are usually very
cumbersome.
See above -- don't want a web interface? Don't use it.
9. Because I can write down all the e-mailadresses i
get from the list
and spam you with penis-enlargements. Bush could easily track all Afgan
terrorists on this list down if he wanted to - would be much harder on a
BBS.
Spam is a real problem, I will give you that. Fortunately, filters like
spamassassin are getting better, and most mailing list archives now hide
email addresses to prevent harvesting. Harvesting by spam-subscribers
might happen in the future, though.
10. I have to wait a day for new letters to arrive
because I use digest
mode and if I dont my mailbox will get clogged.
"Get clogged"? POP3 mailboxes are limited by space, not by
# of messages. Use filters, file to folders. Two clicks in a decent mail
client.
11. When many topics is discussed simultaneously it
becomes very hard to
follow the threads on a list. Not so on a BBS.
Again, use your mail client properly. If you like to have all messages in
a digest with no sorting or threading, then that's your choice.
12. Mentioning offsite mailarchives is out of question
imho. No sane
person should need to or want to use that.
Huh?!
13. No bold or italic style.
*Are* you _sure_? Lack of "advanced" formatting tends to be an advantage
for high signal discussions. Check out the few messages that actually use
HTML and you see what I mean. I refer you to my comment regarding animated
smileys with beer kegs on bulletin boards.
I for one would love to have some kind of messageboard
instead of an
antique mailingsystem. Both the mailinglist and the talk-pages are so
cumbersome, there should be an EASY way to discuss!
Learn to use the technology you own, and you may find that it is much more
advanced than you think. Email has evolved over the last decades.
And usually; Mailinglist = intelligent,
low traffic BBS = dumb, high traffic and thats also something to consider.
I think its the way of the future.
You think that "dumb, high traffic" is the way of the future? I think I'll
pass.
Regards,
Erik