Re: Can MAIL using Mac OS 10.4 tiger be used to view newsgroups such as this one?

In article <barmar-290AE9.01273709012008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Barry Margolin <barmar@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article
<wyvern-50C0F3.23485108012008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Madwen <wyvern@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

For me, the functions are more different than the same once you exclude
ubiquitous functions like writing and reading. With email, you are
targeting only one or a few people with mainly personal and business
correspondence. It's the virtual form of letter writing, mostly between
individuals you know personally or organizations with whom you do
business.

I guess you don't belong to any email discussion lists --

An erroneous assumption. You'll note that I didn't exclude email lists.
I simply said that the function was "mainly" personal and business, not
exclusively.

...they're practically identical in use to newsgroups.

They may be similar in purpose (communication) but certainly not in the
manner they function. Reading Usenet with a decent news client avoids
the many disadvantages of having to manage and dispose of excessive
amounts of email, most of which tend to be poorly managed, immaterial,
top-posted, and off topic, not to speak of the common lack of editing
found on such lists, forcing the reader to scan thru large amounts of
redundant material. They are surely not "practically identical" in the
manner in which they are used. I find most email lists--- and most are
poorly managed if at all--- very inconvenient, tedious, and needlessly
time consuming.

...In fact, when the Internet was first built (and even before, on
the Arpanet), email was the primary mechanism used for discussion
forums that eventually became more common on Usenet.

Yes. and there are sound reasons for the popularity of Usenet.
[...]
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Qustion to the list
    ... asked a polite question. ... Some of the lists I asked the question on have given me a polite reply, ... We're not ogres, but we have had a lot of drive-by spammings and genuinely clueless newby posts here lately, especially since google etc started to publish usenet newsgroups as if they were google groups. ... We genuinely welcome newcomers who want to talk about the process of writing speculative fiction and we welcome announcement of publications and successful sales from our regulars, but similar announcements from someone we don't know tend to get treated as drive-by spam or unsolicited advertising. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Hugh Watkins is not dead
    ... I am very obese, a healthy heart, 71 years of age and writing every day ... mostly on lists, usenet and blogs ...
    (misc.writing)
  • Re: Hugh Watkins is not dead
    ... I am very obese, a healthy heart, 71 years of age and writing every day ... mostly on lists, usenet and blogs ...
    (misc.writing)
  • Re: little survey on email habits
    ... perfect newsgroup, gmane.linux.ubuntu.user, for it. ... I started reading this list by email but soon ... email over usenet anyday ... otoh, not many lists are ...
    (Ubuntu)
  • Re: pan vs slrn differences?
    ... > just not very sharp at reading and writing. ... I'm 40 so I learned to write at school before I found Usenet;) ...
    (news.software.readers)
Loading