Re: [linux-audio-user] What purpose does this list serve?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Fri, Mar 02, 2007 at 03:09:53AM +0100, Hartmut Noack wrote: Well-said. I'm in it for (1) the music, (2) the freedom, and (3) the nerd-wankery. Due to my financial situation, I could not have been able to pursue (1) or (3) if others hadn't made (2) happen, and I am especially grateful to everyone who cares about (2). I also care about it for ideological and political reasons as well as practical reasons too. I think of this list as kind of like the "Slashdot" of Linux Audio. Many of the flamewars and rants are very similar-- if not identical-- to those that have occured on general-purpose FOSS forums like /. et al., for nearly a decade, and that's OK with me. As someone else mentioned: this phenomenon is the nature of general-purpose lists which represent the intersection (collision?) of many different groups of people with different interests, biases, backgrounds, and perspectives. I used to live in Noo Yawk. It's noisy there too. I wouldn't want to live there anymore, but it is always stimulating to visit-- the noise certainly hasn't diminished its value. The rants and flamewars are a distraction and often a waste of time, but sometimes the distraction is welcome. Sometimes I enjoy reading arguments and arguing. The real value of this list is that it is such a mixed bag. In order of value, this is what I get from this list: A) Announcements and "passing mention" of software that is either new or new to me. I never would have heard of the new l2dynparam version of zyn, or of jack_capture, or of jackdmp, or of tons of other stuff, without seeing it float by on this list. B) A place to discuss or ask about technologies/programs that either don't have their own mailing list, or transcend the narrow focus of any existing list. A good example is zyn above, or the recent discussion of AMS vs. OM/Ingen, or of the merits/limitations of Rosegarden vs. Muse, etc. These discussions need a general audience. C) I don't check lam.fugal.net often enough, so I very much enjoy the "Hey, I just wrote this, what do you guys think?" posts. Always fun to hear new music and be part of the cameraderie with fellow musician-composer-nerds. And to read the comments and feedback. I can't imagine that happening on any other list. D) The aforementioned distraction-value. I'm procrastinating right now by reading and responding to this thread. Sometimes the distraction is fun. - -ken