Mailing lists still hold an important role in many free software projects and are a place where development is co-ordinated and support provided.
When you subscribe to a mailing list, you generally have the option of receiving every individual message or receiving a daily digest. However, if you need to read a few, this can still clog up your inbox.
Whilst you could read web-based archives, my favourite option is reading them though Gmane – an NNTP/mailing list gateway.
Gmane allows you to read newsgroups through a USENET newsreader (basic newsgroup facility is built into software like Thunderbird . I find this a more manageable way to read mailing lists, because the client threads them for me.
Gmane works both ways: it allows you to post to newsgroups through USENET too. All it does is the first time you try to post to a mailing list, it sends you a verification email to confirm it is indeed you.
Gmane also allows you to read newsgroups through RSS, so you could use a feed reader (online or desktop)!
There are currently over 10,000 mailing lists accessible through Gmane, ranging from the Wikipedia mailing lists to a blackjack group! To find groups, browse their website or browse their newsserver.
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