Lets all use the IRC channel for once

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 01:10:05AM -0400, Walter Dnes wrote:
>   This isn't a rant against IRC, so please don't take it personally, but
> an email list has some major advantages over IRC.  IRC is OK for live
> communication, but not everybody can be on at the same time, plus I'm
> not exactly a fast typist.  Over the years, I've graduated from being a
> hunt-n-peck 2-finger typist, to a 4-finger (plus thumbs for spacebar)
> typist.  And you don't really want to even think about "texting" with me
> on a cellphone.  Let's just say "I don't get it" when it comes to the
> "texting" obsession.  I recently joined the 21st century, and got the
> basic Virgin Mobile "minute-2-minute" plan.  At $3.75+GST per month (if
> you use it infrequently), it can't be beat for emergency use.  And you
> get to carry over unused credits if you top up on time (or even better,
> go with auto-top-up).

Sounds like a nifty plan.

As for typing, I took a typing course in high school.  I learned some
stuff, although I do in fact not type "by the rules".  I think I have a
modified way of doing it that works better for programming (and with my
hand size/finger length I can do things like ctrl+letter/number one
handed.  Even alt+functionkey is normally not hard with one hand and
seems pretty natural.)

>   - Email enables TIVO-like "timeshifting".  This gives me time to
>     compose a readable reply.  This not only helps the slow typists, but
>     allows one to do offline research ("googling") before replying to
>     questions.

I use google while on irc.

irc does lack a spell checker, although I almost never remember to spell
check my email either.

>   - Email exchanges can be longer and more much more detailed than a
>     series of one-liners.  Could you even begin to write your plea in
>     your original message on IRC?  And of course, you can attach files.

I can write lots of details in one irc message.  And there is always
places like #flood or a pastebin for showing people a file.  And dcc if
you want to transfer a file although that sometimes doesn't work due to
people using cheap crappy routers. :)

>   - Email exchanges can be in parallel, whereas IRC is serial, i.e. only
>     one person typing at a time

No, irc is often used parallel.  Lots of conversations take place at the
same time.

>   IRC has its place, and where immediacy is required it's nice, but
> one-size-does-not-fit-all.

That is certainly true.

Len Sorensen
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