[thelist] long, but gentle, rant about the non-ubiquity of technological knowledge (was RE: Newsletter as HTML Email)

[Barney Carroll]

Marc S. wrote:
> Certain things are getting easier to do on the Internet. And as a
> result, the people who may have wanted to do them before but didn't
> have a clue how to manage this are doing them. But I do not for a
> minute think that those who are not technically inclined are being
> converted in droves.

Aha... So you propose that a certain demographic is becoming more apt in 
pressing-buttons-for-reasons etc., but on the whole people are not 
becoming any more 'experienced'? I think that's a clearer view of the 
way things stand. By the way, for what it's worth the night has given me 
time to reconsider my position: I no longer advocate forcing RSS upon 
Joe Bloggs as a replacement for HTML email, not for serious commercial 
websites. An alternative would be good, but couldn't be justified as an 
extra. I'll have to implement it personally and see how it turns out.

On the blogging front... I'm personally quite amazed at MySpace's 
widespread customisation. Like Word, it's one of those ubiquitous 
successes I find completely counter-intuitive in functionality and all 
but impossible to use - I'm amazed the promise of wonderful things drags 
people through those hoops.


Regards,
Barney