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| subscribers | bumped | re-subscribers |
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What is BumpList?
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BumpList is a mailing list aiming to reexamine the culture and rules of online email lists.
BumpList only allows for a minimum amount of subscribers so that when a new person subscribes, the first person to subscribe is "bumped", or unsubscribed from the list. Once subscribed, you can only be unsubscribed if someone else subscribes and "bumps" you off. BumpList actively encourages people to participate in the list process by requiring them to subscribe repeatedly if they are bumped off. The focus of the project is to determine if by attaching simple rules to communication mediums, the method and manner of correspondences that occur as well as behaviors of connection will change over time.
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What is the purpose of BumpList?
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In the digital age, networked communication platforms and mediums are becoming more and more user friendly and allow for multitudes of types of interaction, voices, and exchanges of images, sounds, and text, both synchronously and asynchronously. Messages can be sent, voices can be heard, and events can be realized with organization and clarity that never before existed. In particular, emailing lists have become important means of maintaining ties within groups, relaying important information among peers or collaborators, and forging a sense of community that transcends all national and cultural boundaries.
Currently, we are actively encouraged to join public email lists. Unless a list adheres to certain rules, is password protected, or made private, anyone with a valid email address can join the discussion. We are also used to conventions of email lists such as subscribe/unsubscribe functions, digest mode, broadcast mode, and public archives of threaded messages. BumpList functions like a standard, public listserv, but adds the constraints of limited membership (only 6 people can subscribe at once) and the urgency of forcing people to re-subscribe if they get bumped and want to continue the conversations, discussions, arguments in which they are engaged.
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How does it work?
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In it's original form, BumpList existed as an extension to the well-known, open-source mail manager, SmartList. By using SmartList, the project maintained all of the security and subscribe/unsubscribe features of the manager and ran with the robustness of a widely used and distributed application. When they are unsubscribed or "Bumped"", they receive an email telling them who's subscription to the list bumped them off and they are given the option to rejoin.
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What are the rules?
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In the discussion there are no rules. BumpList is an open forum just like any other email list. However depending on how much you want to participate in the discussion, it might be to your advantage not to advertise your subscription to the list. The more people you encourage to join, the greater the chance you will be bumped. Only 6 people can be on the list at any one time, thus making it an exclusive place so make your voice count!
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How many people are on BumpList?
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Only 6 subscribers can stay on BumpList at any one time until they are bumped off by the 7th person. Make your words count!
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What is the topic of BumpList?
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The topic of BumpList is entirely open to you and others subscribed. Remember that only subjects of messages will be visible to the public, not messages. This is an attempt to increase participation rather than opening up the archive to those who are not members of the list.
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| What stats are recorded and made public with BumpList? |
BumpList publishes the total number of subscribers, posts sent to the list, resubscribers, and amount of times people have been bumped off the list. It also publishes the subject headings of the 6 most recent messages, when those messages were sent, and how long the sender has been active on the list.
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| Why aren't my emails getting through? |
BumpList only supports emails sent from the sender's address. It will not support emails sent through channels such as "via" which is often used on "enterprise" accounts. To check if your email account uses "via" look at your email headers on received messages.
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