> On 8 Jan 2023, at 01.15, Lorenzo via Origami > <origami@lists.digitalorigami.com> wrote: > So, I turn the question in: Why there are not so many discussions ongoing in > this list? Is it just because of lack of topics, or maybe because other media > replaced this list? When the oLlist was created, the digital world was much smaller, and the IT-savvy origamists likely a smaller group, and hence knit-together. Even in the years I've seen, the participants have changed. The current ones still make discussions, it's just not your old "oh, I know that person".
Anne, how old is the oList, and how many subscribers does it have today? Today, the SoMe world is fragmented. Lorenzo mentions Facebook which has already hundreds, if not thousands, of origami groups - even in Danish there is a handful - so which ones to follow? Instagram, YouTube, Quora, mailing lists (I'm a member of at least 5 different origami lists), forums, ... nobody is everywhere. I know many people who do not bother to use Facebook, many for principled reasons, so you will never reach them there. When I communicate and coordinate, people propose WhatsApp (I don't have it), sms (texting, including images), Facebook private messages (aka messenger), a dedicated forum (who's to administrate it? It's even more cumbersome that being a mailing list admin), Facebook groups (same question), SnapChat (I don't use it), and likely more in different parts of the world. That is likely the one advantage of mail: If you have a digital presence at all, you have an email address and can read the mails sent to you. If using anything but the oList with its stringent rules (bordering frightening for any but the dedicated few), you can also include pictures. And writing text and including images in emails are way easier in emails than in Facebook (see, people have different preferences, as Lorenzo states the opposite). The hope of getting a common place for specialised origami discussions is in vain. XKCD captures the idea perfectly for standards: https://m.xkcd.com/927/. Lorenzo has strong points about why a mailing list is not good for his purposes, even if in the end it boils down to personal preferences and personal connectedness. Lorenzo's example of the isbn number of this blurred book image, fits perfectly into the ephemeral nature of Facebook. Someone is likely to idly browse through the messages and to have an answer, and it is easy to ignore messages you are not interested in. This ephemeral nature is also the weak point of Facebook (ignoring the problem of many people not having an account or not using it): one week later (not to say one year later) it is like impossible to find the answer, the isbn number again. Yes, you can access, but not search, archives - slowly and cumbersome, beyond the past month even your personal postings are practically impossible to find. You would have to ask again, and hope somebody answers this time as well. All that is if you can even remember where you got the answer. There is no way to search across sms, mail, facebook, messenger, whatsapp, instagram, forums, blogs, and more. To sum up: There is a plethora of options for asking questions and discuss. There is no way all those you know, will see it in any one channel. Nothing precludes you from asking the question on the oList or an arbitrary facebook group. If you get an answer, you just try the same place again, if not, try another place. Regards, Hans
