What if I'm wrong?

Picture: Twitter post from Christian Kreutz

My thought context is one of wondering if less is better when it comes to online tools and networks and where Robin Yap reacts with What happens if he visits the museum without twittering about it or reads a book in Starbuck instead of multitasking.

On Saturday I was invited to make a suggestion for an international working group's webpage. The middle column is "Latest news" so my suggestion was that they add the option for an email or RSS subscription. But people saw this as a bad idea for the following reasons:

1. The technology required to set up an email subscription or feed is difficult (according to the webpage designer);
2. It would unnecessarily complicate the page for users;
3. Only news and not a newsletter was going to be published (in paper form) and therefore what was the need?
4. Having the option to receive things by email is a false option because it leads to lots of emails, "blocks up" your email system, and makes you feel like you are missing something if you don't subscribe. So it would be better not to give that option.

And I ask myself - to what extent are we in the echo chamber  really listening to the  people who aren't? And who's learning from who?