At 10:04 AM 1999/12/15 -0500, you wrote:
>Here's a quick tip: All computers come with a wonderful device called a
>"Delete" key. If you see any e mails with a topic that you don't feel will
>interest you, feel free to delete them. Delete as many messages as you
>wish, there is no charge for the use of the "Delete" key.
Laurin, the "Delete" solution assumes that people want digest mode because
they don't care for the content. That's not necessarily the case. Some
people want digest mode so they can consume the information - perhaps *all*
the information - in one fell swoop rather than constantly opening,
reading, deleting, opening, reading, deleting.
To be honest with you, I'm surprised that the list software does not
support this. It must be on a very old version of Majordomo because the
newer versions certainly support digest mode, as do the other packages -
Listserv, Listproc, Lyris, you name it. I understand that resources are
always an issue. Upgrading a major piece of software takes time and money,
and this could be part of the problem (perhaps Zach will confirm).
Let me assure you that I do not take what is a free service for granted.
I'm sure we all appreciate it. But we do ourselves no favors by not
recognizing shortcomings and possible impacts of such shortcomings. The
truth is, the list will lose people that are already inundated with mail
and just can't take yet another list where traffic can be high. If we
recognize this and can live with it, then so be it. If this concerns us,
the Doobies, or mint.net, then maybe the problem should be addressed at
some point.
Software is getting better all the time. Net habits and expectations grow
with improvements and one simply can't be surprised if (no, not if, but
*when*) people ask "Why isn't there digest mode." The question and the
expectation will not go away once and for all.
Respectfully,
Kevin
