What do you NOT like about The Listserve?

Well... I definitely don't read all of them. I don't really care for poetry, banana bread recipes, and I'm quite content with my music tastes. I also don't really like messages from people that try to give me life advice or hearing about people personal agendas.

I don't know if Listserve connects people as well as I would like it to.

So many of the posts are about unsolicited life advice. I want to know ABOUT things instead.

Restrictions on links isolates the listserv from a greater context and presence to search engines.

Sometimes I feel like the emails are super generic-- platitudes on platitudes/self-help shit. Also when people send super cryptic poems is a bit annoying to me.

People that cobble together an email at the last minute. Half of the text being used to explain that they have nothing to share. Long lists of book/recipe/song recoomendations.

That most people start by saying how hard it is, and that they almost didn't submit anything. All the life advice...just tell me a bit about your story, I don't need to hear your advice, I can learn from your experience.

It can be a bit yoga/granola/preachy at times, I'd prefer more fun stuff and books/music recommendations etc with some personal story.

Lack of follow-up and feedback. As far as I know, once you write a Listserve, you only get feedback if people reach out to you directly. Lack of an expected format. No TL;DR's. No community where people can discuss after a Listserve.

People waste the opportunity. Which I suppose is there perrogative.

Nothing unpleasant for me. Some messages are less meaningful to me, or occasionally express offensive viewpoints, but those same messages are likely meaningful to many other people.

self aggrandization

I strongly dislike religious posts and life-advice posts.

Some people can get really preachy and self important about wanting to impart life changing advice - it can be a little hard to take from your average 22 year old Listservian. I'm 56 and have seen more than the average number of hopes, dreams and faith in humanity crashed upon the rocky cliffs of reality and human nature, my only salvation is I know most of their sprit will be stomped out of them by life soon enough. OK you may have caught me on a bad day.

Lack of diversity in the participants.

I don't have to engage with it if I don't want. It's there, take it or leave it, and not intrusive. It never asks anything of me. I also feel that most of the emails are preachy and say the same thing, more or less, which is seize the day.

Sometime they're a bit long, and I don't have time to read them everyday, so my backlog is a little overwhelming.

Not sure.

not much - it's easy enough to not read!

That I didn't win yet!

self-serving posts

I live in constant anxiety, having never seen the "You have won the lottery" email, that I missed my chance to post something as my invitation to do so went to the spam folder at some point. I'm a believer in the value of constraint. Twitter works well because of the forced brevity. 140 characters is too short for email, but I wonder what would happen to writing and reading if there was a max of 200 words. Most people seem to stay under 500 or so.

I would like to see more diversity and people from other countries. I don't really like how the random thing is working. Or that the majority of the people that are being selected come from the same country (US) and the same kind of background: educated, white and middle/upper class.

You can only connect with those chosen for the Listserve emails.

i like everything

Daily messages is kind of intense; I don't always have time to read anything though I would like to. I think the concept of a weekly digest (or something) could be cool.

The not-rare emails that are completely interchangeable (wow! I won! Now what! Here's my advice!)

Some people just go on and on and on and on about seemingly universal but uninteresting things

advice and babbling

Idiots that write "I'm leaving the Listserve"

That I have not been chosen! :) That sometimes people get melodramatic or list a bunch of musicians and books without explaining why they are important to them.

All the trite advice on how to live your life

I think the Listserve isn't living up to its full potential..which leads me to the next question.

Shout out to someone and pretensious stories or advices. In Brazil they say "if advice was good it wouldn't be free"

The emails that end up being a college "about me" essay, I don't enjoy.

When I take the time to write someone an email that they asked for and they don't respond.

I get emails everyday. It could feel a little bit spammy but I could live with that.

Some people get a bit too preachy, but I don't really not like that aspect bc I take it all in regardless

There are a lot of shitheads in the world. And a lot of 20 year olds who want to encourage everyone to "have a good attitude" and "think positively" while our neighbors and foreign bretheren suffer and starve.

People who give standard answers

advice and suggestions for music/books/etc.

The number of "life lessons" that are shared. I am more interested in "life stories" and letting the reader (i.e. me) derive our own lessons.

The liars and the hypocrites. It's not the Listserve's fault, it's just I don't like those people, but I'm glad the Listserve censors nothing (AFAIK)

It's pretty great.

very little

When people merely complain or just flatly explain about their lives. C'mon people, get creative!

That sometimes is feels like a way for a lot of people to share sad stories without them having a message for all of us. I'm glad they feel comfortable getting their story out there and allowing us to help them grieve, but I'd love to know something about the person that allows me to grieve with them.

That fact that people tend to be too similar and give a lot of self help advice that look one like another.

Many people seem to think that the listserve is a place to give advice about how to live a happy life. Advice is not that interesting to me.

I'd like to see all links made without the games of guessing them. Up to the reader to follow after Listserve editors verify and delete any spam, bots, corruption or non-secure crap.

Advice from 25 year-olds. Poetry.

I have replied to a few people who ask for replies and not heard back. That always bums me out a bit I suppose. Otherwise I think the format is good.

not enough time to read everythign

Sometimes long periods go by when I see nothing but posts that don't interest me. Sometimes I would like to invite a poster to do a follow-up. I would like there to be an easy way (though maybe also lo-fi) to find out if other people were interested in the stuff I was interested in, and maybe connect with them. I feel a bit like an island, receiving messages in bottles from other islands.

Life advice from twenty somethings

A majority of Listservians seem to be following the same model. C'mon kids, step up, step out and SAY SOMETHING. I think just one person has suggested a gathering of others in the group...in Brooklyn a year or so ago. How come this doesn't happen more often? (And I wonder how that gathering went??)

i cant keep up wtih the daily messages - i think i'd prefer getting emails less frequently - either once a week with a listing of each subject line, or just fewer overall

that it has become repetitive: it turns out that with a large audience, people tend to write about the same things. love, family, and hardship are most common and have become a bit of tired topics.

Its a lot. I have a folder of a years worth of emails still dying to be read. I read them, and I print them immediately and have thrown them all into a binder. Days go by and it slips my mind that I was supposed to read and print another email, and now I just can't catch up.

Emails have turned into a repetitive this is my story or advice column. Early on (was a member before it started) the stories varied...but somehow it has evolved into this rut where everyone posts similar themes.

Life advice on how to be happy

The email topic are too repetitive and I don't feel like being part of a community..

Inane prattle and religion.

The often boring relative perspective advice.

I kind of wish the e-mails weren't in plaintext, and I wish users could upload just one photo to their post if they wanted to.

The fleeting sense of connection is largely illusory

When people write too much and give advice.

Life advice and rambling, unstructured emails.

Recently, the content or emails haven't been very compelling - causing me and others to lose interest. Each post should be a gem. Each should inspire or make you think, rather than use for sale or self promotion. Similar to HONY, each story should be unique and captivating.

Advice. Mostly because there is so much and I don't know what to do with it.

that i dont know the detais of how the people are selected

I dont

Lists of recommendations without context or justification. Thanks, internet stranger! The single flow of information. Where's the update? How do I know what other people have to say on the subject? What came out of it?

There tends to be a large gap between people who put thought into their e-mails and others who just type something to just type something.

Canned responses, the repetitiveness of emails. I also find myself skimming long emails.

When people use it to self-promote or give cliche advice.

"Life stories" and "words of wisdom"

I would like it if there was an opportunity for interaction with other Listservers and the specific author for further discussion of some topics.

nothing

A "free-for-all" format can lead to super creative entries, but also to some less interesting stories. It also potentially loses its charm over a long period of time on the intense "once-a-day" frequency

There is nothing that I don't like. A little secret (sometimes I get bored and irritated with the stories that people share. it usually is because of my mood but that's alright I guess, right?)

It is not harming me in any way so there is nothing I do not like about the Listserve.

The execution. 90% of the emails on https://thelistservearchive.com/ are tedious uninspired drivel. It's a shame people don't have anything to say on such an occasion. There needs to be some kind of editorial panel, perhaps contributors are chosen, but then vetted by 100 randomly selected members of the community to upvote on to distribution to the whole list. Bottom line the listserv is just not sufficiently exclusive. I want to hear about people's ideas and opportunities to collaborate. I absolutely do not want to be told every goddamned day to slow down and smell the roses, etc. etc. I'd like to see the listserve limited perhaps to techies and contributors to Open Source projects. People with ideas to share. No entrepreneurs. No whining. And no no no more advice. If you were caught off guard by winning the lottery, and have nothing to say, do us all a favor and pass on the opportunity to someone else. Heh honestly I think I will unsubscribe now that I've taken a moment to articulate how annoying this list has become. Wonderful idea tho so really, good luck!

nan

I don't always like the content of the messages but I wouldn't change that either.

It can get real sappy sometimes and they can just not be fun to read.

Don't always have time to read the emails!

That people tend to write the same thing.

no links feels a little repeatitive - same theme reoccurs very USA-heavy, would like more perspective from other countries

When people spend their email complaining about other people's emails. If you have 600 words don't waste it on snubbing someone else's.

Business pitches

Boring emails

So many responses from smug, narrow-minded young people defining themselves by their self-centered awareness and their book/TV/movie recommendations. Also, nobody ever writes back.

Two things: (1) College students who don't know what to do with their life and use the listserve as a venting tool. (2) Self-righteous types who think they've got everything figured out

The diversity of expression it amplifies.

I don't like when individuals have obviously put little to no thought into what they'd like to write about, and as a result share a Listserve with little to no narrative or original thought. When this happens several days in a row it can be frustrating, however I recognize this is part of an open community that doesn't require an invite.

Some people just don't get it. Quality is up and down.

The flatness of the form, the uni-dimensionality of the way the writing is experienced, the need for most people to acknowledge their surprise at winning their listserve, wondering when I will be chosen and whether I will have anything worthy to say.

References to religious convictions

Too many sob stories, or when it's too long

Sometimes stories are too long. Other times I've heard it before. Other times it's on a topic I'm just not interested in.

I never get picked! There really isn't anything I don't like, per se, some posts are more interesting than others but I think that goes with the territory.

Nothing.. By signing up you are willing accept why someone acts to send. One reason it is so interesting.

nan

The only thing I don't like is when people use the Listserve to promote their business. It feels a bit disingenuous.

Moralizing dumbass remarks that try to give blanket advice and take too many words to do it.

It's an interesting concept but I wonder about it's overall utility, especially in the port medium and Quora world.

lengthy emails where you loose the storyline... But seriously, cant think of something now.

There is a lot of content that I really just don't care about. I typically decide within a few lines if I'm going to keep reading or not.

nan

Too much life advice

Trying sooooooo hard to be profound. Snore.

When it doesn't seem like the person I'm listening to would listen to me

That it's mostly popular in US. I wonder if we could popularize it to all the corners of the world. I wonder if there are other platforms similar to Listserve.

Seems like lots of people lately have the misconception that they have to be profound, or that they need to include commentary about the Listserve as a concept.

It doesn't do more than connect people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds.

Emails in which people are talking about a charitable cause they believe in. Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I am always more interested in the way people think, how they feel, or hearing their stories.

I don't like when people start with, "I don't know what to write" or "I'm only 20 something and don't have much to share." I think everyone does and if they could just share anything about themselves it would be interesting.

The incessant pleading, the entries that seem like not much time was put into it. I think links should be allowed, depending on what they are- maybe a limit on how many? I just feel like there is something missing... probably more along the lines of community engagement.

To get a boring email

Arrogance, small-mindedness, immaturity. Inanity.

TONS of trite, saccharine emails that add absolutely nothing to my life. I'm seriously on the verge of unsubscribing. I'd rather get a really specific, vivid, personal email that's totally irrelevant to my interests than get a "God is great and your life matters" email ANY day.

Nothing really, it serves its purpose.

I don't like that most of the emails are so personal.

pretty much everything besides the content.

I really dislike the angsty, formulaic descriptions of young folk "unsure of what they want". It's a boring problem that everyone goes through and it's terribly unoriginal. Your struggle has something unique. Bring it up. I also dislike that people haven't thought beyond the basic use of the Listserve. So many cool things could be tried! Most aren't ready

Preachy posts.

I don't like the people feel somewhat bound by a particular format (many emails look and feel and read the same). I also don't like that people tend to make somewhat pithy or trite remarks, but it is also an interesting result of the forum and has its own value.

nothing? Maybe average age of posters is pretty young? i want to know how many people are selected and decline to write.

Life advice that I do not agree with.

So many wandering young people,