* I like the "demanding" nature of mailing lists. This helps me to read the mailing list on a regular basis. I don't benefit from a list unless I read it regularly. Because there is no comparable "demand" from a forum, I seldom revisit a forum.
* With a mailing list, I can easily locate my last read message, because my e-mail client brings me there. With a forum, I might need to browse backwards several pages to find the oldest unread message.
* I find mailing lists require less time to read because messages are already on my machine. In forums, I often experience delays when I run out of messages on one page and must wait for the next page.
* I notice that mailing lists have meaningful subject lines. Many forums are filled with "Help Me" subject lines.
* Mailing list searches usually produce more relevant results for me than do forum searches.
HTH,
-- Duke
Stephen Turner wrote:
Hello everyone,
I'd value your opinions on the issue of web forums vs mailing lists.
A few people recently have offered to host an analog forum; or alternatively insisted that I should have a forum because they didn't want to subscribe to a mailing list.
Analog has had mailing lists for mainly historical reasons -- they pre-date the widespread use of forums. Nevertheless, I see some advantages in mailing lists: (i) they prompt you to read them, rather than you having to remember to go and read them, so readers are more likely not to drift away; (ii) I've always regarded forums as in danger of attracting trolls -- mailing lists seem to suffer from this less, perhaps because the bar to participation is a little bit higher; (iii) lots of people can archive them, so you're not dependent on the site staying alive for retaining your whole discussion history.
Having said that, it's undeniably true that people now find the web interface more convenient, and they like not having to subscribe.
What do other people think? Should I move to a forum for the tech support? Or would better promotion of the existing web archives of the list be good enough (you can read the list there, but not post)?
I don't see having both as a good solution, by the way, except for a transitional period.
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