Mike Schwartz wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 5:37 PM, Eric Shubert <ejs@shubes.net> wrote:
>> FWIW, the plug discuss list archive on gmane.org
>> (gmane.org.user-groups.linux.phoenix) now goes back to 2004 or so (the
>> earliest posts are incomplete). Thanks to Lars for this great service. It's
>> a nice way to keep up with the list without messing with email.
>>
>> BTW, [...] news reader [...]?
>> --
>> -Eric 'shubes'
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - [...]
> 
> ((Forgive my ignorance, but:))
> how is that better than
>    http://lists.plug.phoenix.az.us/lurker/list/plug-discuss.en.html
> /slash, why is it even needed at all?
> (other than as a plan 'B', in case the above site goes down)?
> --
> Mike Schwartz
> Glendale AZ
> schwartz@acm.org

Of course, *better* is in the eyes of the beholder.
"How is that *different*" might be a better question. ;)

The value to me of gmane is the ease of being able to subscribe to any of
hundreds of mailing lists as simply as subscribing to news groups (like imap
folders), and having a list history (depending on the list) available
instantly. All of this in a single client interface for all of hundreds of
lists.

Of course, in order to post to most lists you still need to sign up for the
list in the traditional fashion. However, you don't have to receive emails
from the list in order to read the list's messages. In my case, this means I
don't have to:
1) set up a separate folder for each list I subscribe to, and
2) create a filter to put the message in the list's folder

As far as comparison goes, someone is likely point out that Lurker (as any
web archive browser) does much of the same without an email or news reader
interface, using a web browser. Personally, I'm not terribly fond of
applications built using web browsers (my own affliction that I'll
eventually need to get over). If there was a single Lurker that contained
100s of list archives as gmane does, I might more rapidly move in that
direction.

Short answer: the purpose of gmane is to present mailing list archives to a
news reader client. This gives the list subscriber more choices in the way
the list is utilized.

More choices is often better. For me, the shoe fits. ;)

-- 
-Eric 'shubes'

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