Re: Fully functional email address — Rich Kulawiec (June 19, 2025) Rich Kulawiec responds to John R. Levine's comment on the enduring relevance of email, particularly mailing lists. He strongly agrees and provides a detailed explanation highlighting why email and mailing lists remain crucial communication tools despite newer replacements. --- Why Mailing Lists Are Still Valuable Rich Kulawiec outlines multiple technical advantages of mailing lists over alternative communication platforms such as web forums and social media: No Special Software Required Anyone with a standard email client can participate, allowing users to choose their preferred software interface. Simplicity and Consistency Basic netiquette rules and conventions apply uniformly. Participating in many mailing lists is as easy as one, unlike web forums which differ widely. Minimal Security Risk Mailing lists impose less security risk compared to web forums and social media. Minimal Privacy Risk Privacy exposure is significantly lower on mailing lists relative to web-based social platforms. Bandwidth Efficiency Mailing lists are economical in data use, important for mobile users with limited plans. Interoperability Messages can be easily forwarded between lists, individuals, or different platforms. Asynchronous Communication Users read and respond offline; no need to be online simultaneously. Resilience in Network Outages Mailing lists work through delays or severe congestion; web forums do not. Push Mechanism New messages are delivered automatically, unlike web forums which require users to check actively. Scalability Mailing lists handle scaling effectively. Resistance to Abuse Properly run mailing lists are less vulnerable to spam or attacks compared to complex web forum systems. Effective Threading and Quoting Mailing lists support logical conversation threading, making discussions easier to follow. Portability Lists can be moved between hosts or domains easily. Freedom to Change Platforms Mailing list archives and subsystems can transfer across software and operating systems with relative ease. Offline Archiving and Reading Messages can be saved to media and read without internet access. Minimal Resource Requirements Lists require little CPU, memory, disk, or bandwidth. Gatewaying Mailing lists can connect bidirectionally to Usenet, websites, and RSS feeds for broader accessibility. Simple, Long-term Archiving Archives use the mbox format, which is lightweight, portable, and remains usable decades later. Local Archiving Users can maintain personal archives. Local Searching Enables offline searching with custom tools, ensuring permanent access despite server or host loss. --- Rich Kulawiec closes by emphasizing that these enduring benefits underpin why email and mailing lists are far from obsolete and remain essential communication infrastructure on the Internet. --- This message was posted to the general IETF mailing list and includes references to related messages. It is part of an active discussion thread on the topic of fully functional email addresses.