Bumplist (via FullCircle)
BumpList is a mailing list aiming to re-examine 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.
Currently, BumpList is limited to six people. The statistics page shows that the top people have accumulated 100-odd days online, with 1000-odd postings each (high traffic!) and 7000 or so bumps. That's seventy per day. You show up, you post, you get bumped. You resubscribe.
I realize it's an experiment, but:
* Why do people feel it's so compelling to keep getting back on? Or have they written scripts to do so?
* How do you handle that much traffic coming through?
* Is the exclusivity of the conversatin so compelling that the content doesn't matter? I usually join communities or conversations that I have something in common with.