[Oe List ...] Some thoughts about the future

[Timothy Wegner]

Del wrote:

>I would love a way that I might easily tune into, follow and contribute to
conversation threads of substance among us.

I have given the question of the limitations of the email listservs a lot
of thought over the years. Some of those limitations are obvious, such as
that  there is no clear distinction between OE and DIALOGUE, and that
whether or not the conversations appear threaded (keeping topics together)
is the accident of how people's email clients work. Over the years various
ones of us have tried alternative software platforms. This experimentation
included (among others) wiki.wedgeblade.net  and is continuing today using
WordPress for the ICA archives.

I can (and will if asked) install other platforms at wedgeblade.net (or
elsewhere) quite easily. And while I am willing to do that, I have reached
some (never entirely final) conclusions that may not be too satisfying for
the inquiring and restless:

1. Email lists work amazingly well for our aging community. Yes there are
limitations, but folks seem to have come to terms with them. My guess is
that these lists will continue while enough of us have not yet lost the
ability to get to a computer and type. There is an enormous amount of
useful discussion and news on these lists. But they are not the "true and
beautiful", and sin abounds.

2. These cats cannot be herded, OE and DIALOGUE will be what the evolve to
be, some prefer one to the other for unfathomable reasons. Perhaps someone
can articulate a useful distinction. Or not!

3. When we try new platforms, success depends much more on willing
organizers and facilitators more than on the technical aspects of the
platforms. Experimentation will continue, and folks deciding to commit
effort will be the key to success.

We will continue experimenting with new ways of being community online, but
my guess is the email lists will exist for some time, then slowly fade away
as the tide comes in and our footprints, one by one, are washed away from
the beach of this world.

Tim
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