What the list archives ought to be like

Nicolas Williams Nicolas.Williams at ubsw.com
Fri Sep 8 20:44:44 GMT 2000


To be useful for us non-subscribers, a mailing list archive web page
should:

 - specify no background color or use a _dark_ brackground color to make
   it easier on the eyes

 - sort messages/threads most-recent _FIRST_

 - include certain mail headers:

    - From
    - To
    - CC
    - Subject
    - Date
    - Message-ID	<-------  This one is a MUST

 - if at all possible include a mail-to-me button on each message

 - handle end-of-month events smoothly (Samba's do; you'd be surprised
   at the list archives which don't close the current month archive
   until half the next month has passed)


I mean, why subscribe to lists?! For each list I must keep around
unsubscription info, I must setup up procmail filters, mutt list
aliases, etc, etc... I have to deal with lists which are badly setup
and have stale subscriber lists which cause me to get bounces when I
post.  And there's lists which sometimes just unsubscribe me (the Samba
lists did that once, which was the drop that made me switch to
following the lists through the archives). AND, the place I work at
changes its domain name every 18 months, so I have to re-subscribe to
must-subscribe-to-post lists.

Get real. Give us decent mailing list archives. Please.

In a whining mood today,

Nico
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