[IP] more on Coursey on IP WITH NASTY EDITORS COMMENTS dhf

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Perlman <perl@lucent.com>
Date: September 23, 2005 6:58:46 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>, Ip Ip <ip@v2.listbox.com>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Coursey on IP WITH NASTY EDITORS COMMENTS dhf


Dave:

To tag on to Ed Belove's posting...

While I am neither a Journalist nor a computer scientist it seems to me
there are some major low level differences between print media  
(newspapers
and magazines) and a mail list like "IP."

Key among these differences is the manner (I.e. data rate and  
bandwidth) in
which these two media are distributed.  A newspaper has relatively  
few (1
per day) very large data distribution containing 10s or even 100s of
separate threads (articles).  On the other hand, a mail list like IP has
several distributions, each containing one thread.  On a busy day I may
receive 20 or more postings from IP, but usually far fewer.

Thus, when a mail list contains an error (which, BTW, I do not think  
was the
case in the matter under discussion - it was really a question and a  
fear)
it is far more likely that the reader will spot the follow-up.  There is
simply less noise and the follow-up "signal" is clearer and easier to  
find.

Remember, "The Medium IS The Message"

Richard




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