[Vision2020] Facebook; The death of Vision 2020?

[Ken]

On Sunday 15 August 2010 09:17:58 Tom Hansen wrote:
> To ensure that everybody has access to V2020, accessibility must be
> maintained so that everybody can participate.  The current V2020 system
> accomplishes that nicely by simply requiring a no-cost subscription

And that's not all. V2020 helps to maintain access by having a low-overhead 
format, i.e., text, rather than a graphical interface that requires more 
computing power just to see the messages. Granted, a forum using 
browser-based technology might not require a graphics card with its own 
cooling system, but the continuing text advantage is subscribers with less 
powerful hardware, perhaps on dial-up connections, or mobile devices, can 
still read from and write to the group.

> People are generally lazy when it comes to mail . . . even me.  People
> would much rather have mail delivered to their in-box (such as the current
> V2020 system), instead of having to go searching for a particular thread
> (much like Facebook).

Delivery to a machine local to the subscriber is not only convenient, but also 
allows more flexible management. If a subscriber desires to capture messages 
to a personal server, and then make them available to a desktop at home or a 
notebook or mobile device elsewhere, a message-based, rather than a 
server-based, system better facilitates that desire.

> If a subscriber is displeased by what they see/read in their in-box, delete
> them and/or unsubscribe to the service that provides them.
>
> As far as anonymous subscribers using fictitious names is concerned . . .

Don't forget subscribers who may be using anonymous accounts just to lurk. 
Whether just for personal satisfaction, or spying in service of some cause or 
organization unrevealed, those who only receive V2020 are also served by it. 
Gathering intelligence, however one defines it, is an old activity that 
depends on the volubility of others, which, with a little catalysis, may 
reveal valuable information, attitudes, preferences, plans, etc., etc.


Ken