I'd like to add my support to those who, far more eloquently than I could have done, have explained why IRC cannot be an inclusive or truly public forum for discussion.
I have always taken the view that email is an essential characteristic of the way the ASF works, and it is precisely because it is globally accessable and asynchronous that real group decisions can be made and real consensus reached. I've always felt uneasy about cliques forming around some out of channel communication, be it phone, pub, ICQ, IRC or, yes, even hackathons. It is not just the decision making which should be public and accessable but the debate that informs the decision making process should be too. In this respect I think that IRC is actually more harmful that the benefit of relationship building which Henri ascribes to it. We are not all capable of participating in other forms of communication and group discussions. However by definition we are all capable of participating in the lists. Relationship building is a Good Thing (just ask my wife!) but it is possible to build personal relationships with other contributors without removing any aspects of the public debate. d.
> No it doesn't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
