On Mon, 2003-01-06 at 20:26, Victor Rehorst wrote:
>
> Just using NNTP doesn't mean that you're connected to Usenet. Lugnet, the
> LEGO Users' Group Network, uses NNTP and their own news servers as primary
> discussion groups: they have their own internal hierarchy structure and
> everything, but without all the crap, insecurity, and volume of Usenet.
>
> Hope that's clear now. It would be running on the Newtontalk server.
There's a whole pile of FORUM which works better on a Wiki than on mail
or anything that separates out the messages rather than the topics.
For example, there are questions and answers and opinions and how-to and
observations that keep coming up as new members join.
A Wikis is sort-of like a board and a FAQ and threaded list and ....
But until you've used it some time you don't "GET IT" as far as how
superior it is.
Most Wikis also have notification of changes. Some like Twiki can be
set up with zones of interest and separate notification for each zone or
topic.
NNTP is one hell of a footprint, not least of all at the client end, and
with backup servers can be pretty bandwidth intense in its flood-fill
algorithm. (I discussed this with Henry Spenser back in 82/83 when he
and Jeff Collyer were redesigning and profiling it. Even later
implementations can't get over that limitation because its there in the
algorithm.)
If you've never used a Wiki as a forum, you don't know what you're
missing. Its advantage over a mail list is that you don't have to put
up with stuff you don't want and its advantage over NNTP and message
boards is that it isn't message oriented. That latter may seem ... odd,
but once you see it working its very powerful.
The big advantage is its all hyperlinked. Its like Ted Nelson's dream
come into being.
Victor: TWiki has a plug-in that allows e-mail to be pushed into a
title-driven topic in one of the zones (webs) for alter refactoring.
You might want to consider that.
/anton
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