Theo v. Werkhoven wrote:
Mon, 14 Aug 2006, by suse@rio.vg: [..]
Simply put, the vast majority of replies to messages coming from a list are meant to go back to the list. In the vast majority of cases, munging the Reply-to makes things easier and quicker for the vast majority of people.
Being voted for by a majority doesn't automatically make it the "right way".
Who said anything about voting? The point is utility. The "right way" is the way that provides the most utility to the most people at that moment. We must always guard against the fear of change.
So, what's next then, the majority thinks that this threading thing is only getting in the way of how "easy" it is to abuse an ongoing discussion to post a new mail, so they'll vote it to be ignored in future?
I would suspect that the vast majority of people are using mail clients that properly thread mail. Therefore, it provides utility. If, in the future, there's a new way of reading mail that at the moment I cannot conceive of, perhaps then it should be eliminated. Until that point, I say we stick with what works for the vast majority of users.
Next, no more CLI questions or advice allowed, because that's just too fucking difficult and intimidating? Then what, HTML and blinking smiley's in all posts?
Difficult and intimidating? Bwhahahahahaha! You completely misunderstand me. I'm not against command lines. I run servers for a living, nearly all the work I do on them is command line. What I despise is the proposition that everything should be limited to the console. I'm talking about people who believe X is an impurity and a mouse is only for macs. The type of person that believes anyone who doesn't do things their archaic way is automatically doing it wrong and their way is always right because that's the way they did it in 1985. The world has moved on. There are new factors and other input to be considered. The point is to use whatever is best for your users.
Why don't we just start an MSN group right away, so all fucking nitwits can effordlessly and thoughtlessly do whatever they're used to in chat channels?
I wouldn't know anything about that. I've never seen an MSN group. If you're more comfortable there, I'm sure they can accommodate you..
The computer is supposed to conform to me, not the other way around.
You're suppost to be in control of devices you use, not being controlled by them.
Precisely. But the fellow who wrote that article believes the opposite. He believes that everyone else needs to conform to how his computer works, as he has done. That sort of mindset is something that must be challenged at all turns. If we listen to these people, technology will never move forward, but instead be stuck at whatever arbitrary point where they conformed themselves to the system.