Early on <nettime> mailing list was “collaborative text filtering” — what, in the age of social media, we’d call sharing. That kind of function was normal on mailing lists, but <nettime> was unusual because it didn’t have a clearly defined focus (Bruce Sterling once called it “the world’s most world list”). The wide-ranging material put odd pressures on the list — prolific posters committed to particular subjects, say, or the rising tide of announcements related to pretty much any and every aspect of “new media” and its effects around the world. The list’s first semi-regular digest, the “announcer,” initially maintained by Sandra “fokky” Fauconnier, helped to alleviate traffic issues and provided a model for a more intensive effort to use “nyms” for digests. Over the 25 years that Felix Stalder and I moderated the list (sometimes with the help of others), we came up with over seven hundred subject-specific nyms. Some, “nettime’s spam kritik,” were used extensively (the “roving_reporter” [became an occasional column on tbtf.com](1999–2001 > the roving_reporter)), but many only appeared just once. I compiled this list on January 2015 and sent it to the list:
nettime’s.sorry
nettime’s(.bash)_history
nettime’s_ _
nettime’s_ _ again
nettime’s_roving_reporter
nettime’s___
nettime’s____________
nettime’s_________________
nettime’s__grand_inquisitor
nettime’s_--------_detector
nettime’s_…wait…oh my god! it’s alive!
nettime’s_‘r’_critic
nettime’s_(anti)?thetical_synthesizer
nettime’s_(g)?lo(b|c)al_pundit
nettime’s_|<0u||+3r-.*
nettime’s_1337ologist
nettime’s_31337_h!5+0r!4||
nettime’s_911_compiler
nettime’s academy
nettime’s accelerated cycles
nettime’s accountants
nettime’s_active_digestresse
nettime’s_adding_machine
nettime’s_akademik_zensor
nettime’s_alarmist
nettime’s alias
nettime’s_american_friend
nettime’s_anal_editor
nettime’s_anal-retentive-book-editor/librarian
nettime’s_AND_gate
nettime’s_annaliste
nettime’s_annotation_line
nettime’s announcer
nettime’s_anonymizer
nettime’s_anonymizing_service
nettime’s anonymous coward
nettime’s_anonymous_login
nettime’s_anti_war_dig
nettime’s_antithesis
nettime’s_api
nettime’s_appraisal_committee
nettime’s_arbiter_of_taste
nettime’s archivist
nettime’s_armchair_historian
nettime’s_ascii_infidel
nettime’s_asciimilator
nettime’s_assimilationist_system
nettime’s_attivatore
nettime’s_autoimmune_system
nettime’s_automaton
nettime’s avid crossposter
nettime’s avid gift giver
nettime’s avid law reader
nettime’s avid reader
nettime’s avid review reader
nettime’s_avid_reader
nettime’s_b00xw0rm
nettime’s_B1FF!!!
nettime’s_babelfish
nettime’s bable fish
nettime’s_balancing_act
nettime’s_barcode_reader
nettime’s_barker
nettime’s_barking_dialogist
nettime’s_bartleby
nettime’s_basic_visual_script
nettime’s_bean_counter
nettime’s_beancounter
nettime’s_bear
nettime’s bifurcated tuber
nettime’s_big_thumb
nettime’s_bird_watchers
nettime’s blockwart
nettime’s_bloggee
nettime’s_BMOC
nettime’s_body_politic
nettime’s_border_reporter
nettime’s_bored_summer_intern
nettime’s broken pumps
nettime’s_broken_record
nettime’s_bullshit_detector
nettime’s_burning_man
nettime’s_busy_reader
nettime’s_butcher
nettime’s_butlins
nettime’s_c-spammer
nettime’s_cache
nettime’s_caching_proxy
nettime’s cage aux trolls
nettime’s calculating machine
nettime’s_captive_audience
nettime’s_car_warrespondent
nettime’s caring parent
nettime’s cartoonist
nettime’s cash hoard
nettime’s_cashier
nettime’s_center
nettime’s_centrist_urge
nettime’s_cgi_joe
nettime’s_charterhouse
nettime’s_chatterbox
nettime’s_cheeseburger_to_go!
nettime’s_chronicler
nettime’s_chronological_digesta
nettime’s_circle_jerk
nettime’s_clerk
nettime’s closed
nettime’s_closet_case
nettime’s coin box
nettime’s_collection_service
nettime’s collective
nettime’s collective theorists
nettime’s_collective_brain
nettime’s_colostomy_bag
nettime’s compiler
nettime’s_compiler
nettime’s_compression_algorithm
nettime’s compulsive gamer
nettime’s_conditional_dig
nettime’s confused ontologist
nettime’s_conscientious_digestor
nettime’s_convergence_center
nettime’s copy editor
nettime’s_counter_counter_counter_something
nettime’s_counterimagineer
nettime’s_counterspam_kr!k!t
nettime’s_CPA
nettime’s crew of janitors
nettime’s critic of the critic
nettime’s crooked dealer
nettime’s_crusher
nettime’s_crystal_ball
nettime’s cuban middle
nettime’s_cud_chewer
nettime’s cultural
nettime’s curator
nettime’s_d-di-di-digestive_s-s-system
nettime’s_d-spammer
nettime’s_dataminer
nettime’s de-terminator
nettime’s_deadman_switch
nettime’s deaf reader
nettime’s_debabelizer
nettime’s_decider
nettime’s decoder
nettime’s_deep_sea_diver
nettime’s_deficit_disorder
nettime’s_deja-vu
nettime’s_delayed_response
nettime’s_delete_key
nettime’s_delp_hesk
nettime’s_demultitudinizer
nettime’s_depth_charge
nettime’s_designative_dig
nettime’s_dfh
nettime’s dialectical materialist
nettime’s_diet
nettime’s digest
nettime’s_digest
nettime’s_digest_ready_to_read
nettime’s digesta
nettime’s digester
nettime’s_digestion
nettime’s digestive system
nettime’s_digestive_system
nettime’s_digestive_system_politic
nettime’s_digestive_tract
nettime’s_digestor_of_forwarded_crises
nettime’s_digger
nettime’s director
nettime’s_discursive_constipation
nettime’s_discursive_digestive_system
nettime’s_disgestive_system
nettime’s dishonest
nettime’s disinfecta
nettime’s_disintermediation_system
nettime’s_dogcatcher
nettime’s_dom
nettime’s_dot_dot_dot
nettime’s_dot_matrix
nettime’s_doubleplusuncountercountercounterreformer
nettime’s dr doom
nettime’s_drive_thru
nettime’s_driving_force
nettime’s_dumpster_diver
nettime’s_dumptruck
nettime’s_dusty_archivist
nettime’s_dusty_cryptographer
nettime’s_easy_listener
nettime’s echo
nettime’s_eco_chamber
nettime’s_educrat
nettime’s_election_monitor
nettime’s_election_observer
nettime’s_elevator
nettime’s_elf
nettime’s_embedded_controller
nettime’s_emotional_antenna
nettime’s_empiricist
nettime’s employee of the the year
nettime’s_encoder_ring
nettime’s_enforcer
nettime’s_enigma
nettime’s_entropist
nettime’s_epicyclical
nettime’s_equalizer
nettime’s_eternal_carriage_return
nettime’s_eternal_return
nettime’s_ethereal_list-0//N3R!!!
nettime’s_evil_antimatter_twin
nettime’s_excursion_trip
nettime’s_exorcist
nettime’s explation of evil
nettime’s_extortionst
nettime’s_f4sc!zt_z3nz0r!!!
nettime’s_factotum
nettime’s fake shop
nettime’s false digest
nettime’s farm hand
nettime’s_fasc!st_zenzor
nettime’s_fellow_traveler
nettime’s_fency_activists
nettime’s_ferryman
nettime’s fetters
nettime’s_fickle_customer
nettime’s filosofer
nettime’s filter
nettime’s_fingerpuppet
nettime’s_firetrap
nettime’s_flame_warrior
nettime’s_flamethrower
nettime’s_flametrader
nettime’s_flashometer_I
nettime’s_flashometer_II
nettime’s_flashometer_III
nettime’s_flashometer_IV
nettime’s_fly_on_the_wall
nettime’s_flying_birthday_committee
nettime’s_focus_group
nettime’s_FOIA_filer
nettime’s_fold
nettime’s font checker
nettime’s_forbidden_city
nettime’s foreign
nettime’s_foreign_correspondent
nettime’s_foreign_exchange
nettime’s_forgetful_historian
nettime’s_fork_lift
nettime’s_fork()_lift
nettime’s_forking_tendencies
nettime’s_fortean
nettime’s_forth_reichian
nettime’s_free_gateway
nettime’s_frenemy
nettime’s frequent flyer
nettime’s friendly community
nettime’s_fruit_machine
nettime’s_fun_raiser
nettime’s funeral
nettime’s_furrin_exchange
nettime’s_gal_friday
nettime’s_gang
nettime’s_gardener
nettime’s_gasoholic
nettime’s_gatekeeper
nettime’s_geheimnissicherheitsdienst
nettime’s_generator
nettime’s_geodesic_structure
nettime’s_geowanker
nettime’s_ghost_of_net.art.past
nettime’s_gilded_cage
nettime’s_global
nettime’s_globetrotter
nettime’s gnu
nettime’s_gnu
nettime’s_gopher
nettime’s_gran_fury
nettime’s_groupuscule
nettime’s_grunt
nettime’s_guy_in_the_white_coat
nettime’s_H0AX0R
nettime’s_hackumentarist
nettime’s hand compiler
nettime’s handy
nettime’s_hawk(er)
nettime’s help desk
nettime’s_helpdesk
nettime’s helpers
nettime’s_hidden_hand
nettime’s_high-level_scriptor
nettime’s historian
nettime’s historical fader
nettime’s_historical_conciousness
nettime’s honest thief
nettime’s_hoover
nettime’s_human_face
nettime’s_hungry_ego
nettime’s_hyperpower
nettime’s hypocrite
nettime’s_idle_worshiper
nettime’s_immod
nettime’s inauthentic digest
nettime’s_incorporator
nettime’s_incredible_shrinking_man
nettime’s_indeterminate_temporary_layover
nettime’s_indexical_utterance
nettime’s_indigestive_system
nettime’s infatigable cartoonists
nettime’s_infernal_machinist
nettime’s_influencing_machine
nettime’s inner workings revealed
nettime’s_inquiring_minds
nettime’s_inside_trader
nettime’s_inspector
nettime’s_institutional_critic
nettime’s_institutional_memory
nettime’s_institutional_review_board
nettime’s_integrator
nettime’s_interactive_indeigestion
nettime’s internet didgest
nettime’s internet digest
nettime’s_intruder_alert
nettime’s_isla_bonita
nettime’s italian digest
nettime’s_janitor
nettime’s janitors
nettime’s_janitors
nettime’s jukebox
nettime’s juvenile digesta
nettime’s_kelly_girl
nettime’s_keyboard_potato
nettime’s knitting factory
nettime’s_knuckle_rapa
nettime’s_kompressor
nettime’s_kontent_kreator
nettime’s_kranky_kong
nettime’s_krusty krab
nettime’s_lamarckian
nettime’s_lazy_bastard
nettime’s_left_coaster
nettime’s_legal_dictionary
nettime’s_legal_workshop
nettime’s_letter_editor
nettime’s_lettrist
nettime’s_licensee
nettime’s_lifelong_learner
nettime’s literary
nettime’s_little_birdie
nettime’s_little_helper
nettime’s_lonely_crowd
nettime’s_loss_leader
nettime’s lottery
nettime’s lunar digest
nettime’s_m9nd_kontainer
nettime’s mad digestion
nettime’s_mail_h4x0r!!!
nettime’s mailman
nettime’s_MailRank[tm]
nettime’s_maitre_d
nettime’s_malcontent
nettime’s_man_behind_the_curtain
nettime’s_man_in_caracas
nettime’s_mandibular_function
nettime’s manifesto control
nettime’s_mann_ohne_eigenschaften
nettime’s manual
nettime’s marginal protester
nettime’s_market_analyst
nettime’s_mathemagical_thematist
nettime’s mechanical
nettime’s media
nettime’s media art
nettime’s_media_asset
nettime’s_media_consultant
nettime’s_media_magnate
nettime’s_meme_chose
nettime’s_mercurial_editor
nettime’s message screener
nettime’s message splicer
nettime’s_message_recoverer
nettime’s_messenger
nettime’s meta
nettime’s_metaphorical_archaeologist
nettime’s_methodological_referee
nettime’s middle
nettime’s mini-digestion
nettime’s miscellany
nettime’s miser
nettime’s_mixmaster
nettime’s_mod_squad
nettime’s_moderators
nettime’s_monkey_in_the_middle
nettime’s_moot_court
nettime’s_movement_of_movements
nettime’s_mr._mole
nettime’s_mullahs
nettime’s muscle critics
nettime’s_mytho-robo-poesis
nettime’s_nanny
nettime’s_nano_pico_femto_atto_zepto_yocto
nettime’s_national_conscience
nettime’s_natura_naturans
nettime’s_nettimers
nettime’s_new_man
nettime’s_new_yawker
nettime’s_new_yorker
nettime’s_newsprint_recycler
nettime’s_newsreader
nettime’s_no-mission_digger
nettime’s noise
nettime’s noise filter
nettime’s not so bitter digester
nettime’s_notebook
nettime’s_nutty_professor
nettime’s_observer
nettime’s_occupational_therapist
nettime’s_occupier
nettime’s_od_2
nettime’s_offsite_archivist
nettime’s_oil_futurist
nettime’s_old_economy
nettime’s_old_world
nettime’s_ombudsman
nettime’s on/off connector
nettime’s one
nettime’s one line collector
nettime’s ontological apparatus
nettime’s_open_EAR
nettime’s_openspammer
nettime’s_opinion_contraption
nettime’s_opinion_digga
nettime’s_opportunity_adviser
nettime’s_optimo-pessimist
nettime’s_oracle
nettime’s_orchid_man
nettime’s_organic_alien
nettime’s_organization_man
nettime’s overload
nettime’s_overload_manager
nettime’s_oversharer
nettime’s_overworked_cleanup_crew
nettime’s_pac-man
nettime’s packet packer
nettime’s_paper_pusher
nettime’s_paperboy
nettime’s_para_normalist
nettime’s_parallel_processor
nettime’s paranoid reader
nettime’s parasites
nettime’s_parliament
nettime’s party goer
nettime’s_password_protection
nettime’s_paymaster
nettime’s_peanut_gallerist
nettime’s_pen_pal
nettime’s_permadjunct
nettime’s pilot light
nettime’s ping pong
nettime’s_pinhole
nettime’s_pizza_delivery
nettime’s plumber
nettime’s poet
nettime’s_point_n_clicktivist
nettime’s_policy_wonk
nettime’s_possessive
nettime’s_post_traumatic_manageress
nettime’s post-collective
nettime’s post-election analyst
nettime’s_postal_inspektor
nettime’s_poster_child
nettime’s_pretzel_historian
nettime’s_primal_scenester
nettime’s_prior_artist
nettime’s_prior_artists
nettime’s_privatization_authority
nettime’s_probiotic_brigade
nettime’s_psychocartographer
nettime’s_psychoceramicist
nettime’s publisher
nettime’s_qualitative_easing
nettime’s_qualquant
nettime’s_quasilegal
nettime’s_raised_hackles
nettime’s_random_telegram
nettime’s re tracer
nettime’s_Re_Re_Re
nettime’s_read_write_head
nettime’s reading list?
nettime’s_realtime_compression_lib
nettime’s_recapitator
nettime’s_recombinant
nettime’s_recomposer
nettime’s_recount
nettime’s_reductionist
nettime’s refugee digestive
nettime’s refugee in Australia
nettime’s_regional_reporter
nettime’s_regulator
nettime’s_rejection_letter
nettime’s relocator
nettime’s_reluctant_CNN_simulator
nettime’s remixer
nettime’s_remote_control
nettime’s_rescue_squad
nettime’s_research_assistant
nettime’s_resource_allocator
nettime’s_restaurant_reviewer
nettime’s_retabulator
nettime’s_retort
nettime’s_retrospective_system
nettime’s reversal
nettime’s_review_process
nettime’s rights manager
nettime’s riot observer
nettime’s_roboconnoisseur
nettime’s_robots.txt
nettime’s_rocket_scientist
nettime’s_role_player
nettime’s_rotating_moderators
nettime’s_roundup
nettime’s_rovering_reporter
nettime’s roving correspondent
nettime’s roving reporter
nettime’s_roving_correspondent
nettime’s_roving_journalist
nettime’s_roving_primatologist
nettime’s_roving_raver
nettime’s_roving_reader
nettime’s_roving_reporter
nettime’s_roving_reporter”
nettime’s_roving_reporters
nettime’s_roving_rerereporter
nettime’s_roving_subscriber
nettime’s rovink reporter
nettime’s_rovink_reporter
nettime’s royal scribe
nettime’s_rubbish_brigade
nettime’s_ruling_robert
nettime’s_ruminant
nettime’s_ruminator
nettime’s_rumor_monger
nettime’s_rumormonger
nettime’s_running_man
nettime’s_s’emitten
nettime’s sad reader
nettime’s_sad_forwarder
nettime’s salon economist
nettime’s_sameness_engine
nettime’s_satire_dig
nettime’s_saturday_morning_cartoon
nettime’s_sausage_machine
nettime’s_script_kiddie
nettime’s_secret_santa
nettime’s_seeder
nettime’s_sekrit_dekoding_ring
nettime’s_self-cleaning oven
nettime’s_self-digestive_system
nettime’s semantic descrambler
nettime’s_senior_bastard
nettime’s_sensible_sorta
nettime’s_sensor
nettime’s_septuabotanist
nettime’s_server_in_return
nettime’s service industry
nettime’s_shadowy_connection
nettime’s shop
nettime’s_short_fuse
nettime’s_shrugging_atlas
nettime’s_signalisa
nettime’s signalist
nettime’s_sistema_indigestivo
nettime’s_six_steps_back
nettime’s_skeptical_inquirer
nettime’s_slouch
nettime’s_slovene_detranslator
nettime’s_slovene_philosopher
nettime’s smart reader
nettime’s_smoke_signal
nettime’s social being
nettime’s_social_alchemist
nettime’s_solar_anus
nettime’s_solvent
nettime’s spam kr!t!k
nettime’s spam kritik
nettime’s spam reader
nettime’s_spam_archivist
nettime’s_spam_connoisseur
nettime’s_spam_filter
nettime’s_spam_inspector
nettime’s_spam_kr!k!t
nettime’s_spam_kritik
nettime’s_spamkrikit
nettime’s_spamkritik
nettime’s_spamkurator
nettime’s_speculator
nettime’s_speed_demon
nettime’s spell
nettime’s_spokesmodel
nettime’s_spreada
nettime’s_spring_cleaner
nettime’s_stable_boy
nettime’s_star_chamber
nettime’s_storm_system
nettime’s_streamlinegram
nettime’s_street_historian
nettime’s_strongman
nettime’s_subject_line_kritik
nettime’s_subtractor
nettime’s_sudden_turn
nettime’s_suggestion_boxer
nettime’s_sunny_countenance
nettime’s_superliminalist
nettime’s_support_group
nettime’s_support_line
nettime’s_supportive_frontliners
nettime’s_sustainable_ethic
nettime’s suv driver
nettime’s_sweatshop
nettime’s sweaty
nettime’s_swing_state
nettime’s swiss arbiter
nettime’s_syllabary
nettime’s_symbolic_formalist
nettime’s_symboliste
nettime’s_symptomatic_corresponda
nettime’s_symptomatic_distincta
nettime’s_syncretic_materialist
nettime’s_synthesist
nettime’s_synthetic_system
nettime’s_t[ext]j_spooky
nettime’s_tcp_rapper
nettime’s_tensegrity_structure
nettime’s terrorism think tank
nettime’s_teta_bester
nettime’s_theoretical_potato
nettime’s_thermodynamic_principle
nettime’s_thinktank
nettime’s_third_thumb
nettime’s three is a crowd
nettime’s_three_tumbs
nettime’s_throughput
nettime’s_ticker
nettime’s_ticket_collector
nettime’s_ticket_source
nettime’s_time-to-live
nettime’s_timekeeper
nettime’s_tin_cup
nettime’s tired
nettime’s_tireless_reporter
nettime’s_toolbox_repairshop
nettime’s_topiary.artist
nettime’s_tough_digesta
nettime’s_tout
nettime’s_toy_canon
nettime’s_toy_system
nettime’s_transmittress
nettime’s travel agency
nettime’s_trigestive_system
nettime’s_troll
nettime’s_trololo_guy
nettime’s troublemaker
nettime’s true believer
nettime’s_truth-breaking_news-evaluator
nettime’s_tuesday_welder
nettime’s_turnabout
nettime’s_two_steps_forward
nettime’s typographers
nettime’s_u1tra_B1FF
nettime’s ueber vectoralist
nettime’s uebertranzi
nettime’s umpire
nettime’s_un-american_committee
nettime’s_uncola
nettime’s_uncola_drinker
nettime’s_undertaker
nettime’s unpaid curatorial staff
nettime’s_unpaid_curator
nettime’s_untouchable
nettime’s unwaged censor
nettime’s upset stomac
nettime’s_ur-member
nettime’s_uuencoder
nettime’s_vapor_trail
nettime’s very avid reader
nettime’s_village_gossip
nettime’s_village_green_society
nettime’s virtual coin box
nettime’s_virtual_infectress
nettime’s_walrus_and_carpenter
nettime’s_war_weary
nettime’s_waterloo_monger
nettime’s_weakest_link
nettime’s_whatever
nettime’s white collar
nettime’s_wiczfinder_general_plus
nettime’s_wilderness_of_mirrors
nettime’s Winston Smith
nettime’s_wire_service
nettime’s_wireless_transceiver
nettime’s_woomera_link
nettime’s word police
nettime’s_word-processor
nettime’s_words_fail_me
nettime’s_world_system
nettime’s wrappa
nettime’s_WTO_reporter
nettime’s_xor
nettime’s year end charity
nettime’s_yes_women(?!)
nettime’s_yo_dawg
nettime’s_zentral_kommittee
nettime’s_zombie_process
nettime’s_ztandup_komedian