Re: Code of Conduct on the Debian mailinglists

[Miles Bader <miles.bader@necel.com>]

"Joe Smith" <unknown_kev_cat@hotmail.com> writes:
> So I really wonder why mailing lists are so common.

It sort of depends on what you're looking for.

Some advantages of mailing lists:

  * E-mail generally has a "wider reach" -- it gets past corporate
    firewalls, (my company has never allowed external nntp connections),
    works even on strange systems, etc.

  * With email, you can use the same MUA you always use, with the
    features you're used to.  People are _used_ to email, know how to
    configure it.

  * With a mailing list you get a private copy of every message, without
    having to figure out how to setup a nntp server.

I generally use gmane to read "occasional" lists which I don't care so
much about.  However lists I read (and write to) often, I get as email.

-Miles
-- 
Freedom's just another word, for nothing left to lose   --Janis Joplin