Re: Perhaps it's time to think about enhancements to the NANOG list...?

[Rich Kulawiec <rsk () gsp org>]

On Sat, Mar 20, 2021 at 12:46:57PM -0600, David Siegel wrote:
> The board has been thinking about enhancements to the NANOG list for a
> couple of years now, with the goal of creating a modern interface that the
> younger generation of engineers will be more comfortable using.

This isn't a valid goal.  It's fine that some people can't handle mailing
lists -- but then they shouldn't be network engineers or system admins,
because (a) using mailing lists is a fundamental skill required in those
fields and (b) anyone can't master such a rudimentary task in relatively
short order really isn't equipped to be an engineer/admin.  (Just like
someone who can't do binary arithmetic or grasp multi-step processes
shouldn't be an engineer/admin.  This doesn't make them bad people,
it just makes them people who are unlikely to be successful in the field.)

> Those of you that have attended recent NANOG members meetings may recall
> that we are currently beta testing a new community interface called
> discourse as part of our NANOG modernization strategic initiative.

Discourse is a MAJOR downgrade from the functionality of mailing lists.

Oh, it's shiny and pretty and all that, but it's not a good tool for
serious professional or even amateur communication.  (And, of particular
interest to *this* list, it performs extremely poorly -- if at all --
when confronted with (a) network outages and congestion and (b) attacks
and abuse.  Two of the *many* significant advantages of properly-run
mailing lists are that they continue to function plausibly well under
highly adverse conditions and that there are numerous, well-understood
tactical and strategic mechanisms for defending them.)

---rsk