Some of those changes
are going to break some functionality that a minority of
users rely on
[...]
As I see it, the answers as to what should be broken and
what should not are
already being decided by the users.
Gordon, could you clarify this apparent contradiction?
It is contradictory, isn't it? The functionality that the minority of users
rely on, but the majority of users don't, is going to be removed or regulated
more by what we do here.
One the one
hand, it appears to me that you're okay with breaking user-desired
functionality. On the other, it seems to me that you think the users
should be the arbiter of what's broken.
The users ultimately decide on adoption because THEY have to use it. Just
because a minority of users think it's a bad idea doesn't mean it WON'T get
adopted. You think Microsoft got into its domininant position on the PC
desktop by itself? No. Users chose DOS and later chose Windows, and major
developers chose to develop for DOS and Windows first before porting to other
platforms. Inertia took over from there.
Sure there's marketing gimmicks and peer pressure that persuades users to
choose one or another. But really, users decide. And that means EVERYONE
who uses. You, me, Joe Sixpack, Jane Sixpack, my sister-in-law, my mom, my
clients, everyone. They decide and we decide. And they are deciding right
now by adopting SPF and M$ Caller-ID.
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36585.html>
"The registry running the top-level .tm domains is leading the charge against
spam by adding the SPF protocol into all its domains' DNS records."
It's happening right now. Meng should pat himself on the back for a great
marketing campaign but ultimately, they decided. If .tm users don't like it
they can switch TLDs and will. Time will tell and so will the users.
If users decide that they don't want accountability in e-mail, our work will
be futile because the majority won't use it. Administrators won't use it if
it's not worth their while or if the users they serve don't want it. "End"
users won't use it because it will be too much trouble to use.
Is it that you're using two different senses of the term "user"?
No. And get off this kick. "user" is person sitting at computer, using the
computer, e-mail and the Internet as tools. Tools to ultimately communicate
with other "users." If you want a better word, then I'll use "people" or
"human beings." This includes Administrators.
"End" users know where the "send" button is. Administrators know more only
because it's their job to or it's their choice to, but after the work day is
over, even they just know where the "send" button is. These guys happen to
have a little more influence in the decision process but even they are held
accountable to whom they serve and whom they communicate with.
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GOD BLESS AMER, er, THE INTERNET. <http://vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=401&page=4>