Which is better for a given situation? To have a synchronous discussion (everyone discussing in real time) or an asynchronous one (everyone leaves comments and replies at different times)?
Asynchrony's disadvantages:
- Sometimes a bunch of people are all on at once and essentially have a synchronous conversation through the asynchronous medium. Then, when others who aren't on at the same time log on later, they feel that they've "missed it" (and sometimes this perception is correct). Example: on slashdot, conversations die after they've been up for a few hours. Comments made after this point are a waste of effort because they won't have a chance to be modded up.
Asynchrony's advantages:
- asynchrony + anonymity permits more open airing of views
- Don't need to coordinate schedules
- Scales better
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