Keith Wansbrough wrote:
[snip]
> I disagree. One major reason is the spam problem: a post to a
> newsgroup essentially guarantees putting your name on a spam mailing
> list, and receiving large quantities of Make Money Fast postings.
I normally spam-proof my e-mail address on newsgroups for this reason.
Though I'm not sure it's such a big problem as it has been; I sent a few
unprotected usenet postings on Thursday and have yet to get any spam
back from them. Also I think it likely that someone who spammed me
a few months ago got my address from the Haskell archives.
[snip]
> It's polite to cc: the author.
I don't normally because getting two copies of the same message is a bore.
In general I think Usenet is superior for common discussions, as that is
what it is designed for. For example:
1) I don't have go through Usenet messages deciding which to delete,
because I know they are all archived anyway. If I get bored with a thread
I just K it and I never have to think about it again.
2) I have to assume that e-mail sent to me personally requires a rapid response.
So I have to go to the trouble of opening Netscape whenever I get an e-mail.
It is irritating when the e-mail is concerned with some Haskell issue which
doesn't interest me.
I use Netscape 4.6 for e-mail and Usenet. Please don't tell me how wonderful
my life would be if I could be bothered to switch to procmail, emacs news/mail
and so on, as I can't be bothered.
