Re: DW Mailing List: Would it be better if it was not archived?
2009/9/17 Helen Faulkner <helen@debian.org>:
> Hi all,
>
> Miriam Ruiz wrote:
>> One of the reasons -among others- that new women don't write in the
>> mailing list might be that the messages are being publicly archived
>> and exposed forever, and that could be quite intimidating. Do you
>> think it might help if the messages weren't archived?
>
> My opinion is that the value to the project of having the discussions archived
> outweighs the potential problems with privacy involved. There are so very many
> mailing lists, forums and so forth online where everything that people say is
> archived. I would be surprised if the archiving was a big barrier to those who
> are interested in contributing - it's somethhing that we are all getting
> increasingly used to.
>
> Maybe we could try to solve the problem in another way. Are there any contact
> people listed somewhere that newcomers could email directly for information if
> they were interested but shy? Maybe highlighting that information more clearly
> somewhere would help to encourage newcomers to post?
>
> The other thing that I guess would be helpful would be encouraging people to
> subscribe and lurk on the list. Maybe we can make it clearer that people are
> welcome to do that. At least that way they will be reading posts and being
> reminded about the existence of the project, and eventually I reckon that many
> of the lurkers do end up posting something, it might just take them a few months
> to get up to doing so.
>
> Maybe it would help to point out that people can subscribe with a free email
> address that doesn't have to identify them?
>
Is it not possible to hide an email address when archiving?
Or write a server side script to hide it on screen ?
FWIW: I don't mind if people have an email address they use for
mailing lists or other purposes.
I do mind if they seek to completely hide their true identity for
ulterior motives - male or female.
Regards
L.
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