A few more thoughts on email distribution vs thread based forums. Who is the audience? I think (but can really only speak for myself) that most members of EVDL prefer to be aware of all threads active on EVDL. While you (or I) may not read all posts on a thread, at least you know a discussion occurred and, maybe, who provided substantial information. This is a different sort of user from those who want info on specific topics and will search for those topics rather than monitor a stream of topics. With that in mind:
PROS of an email distribution list: - all posts show up "in your face" - you know who the poster is (not a generic "new EVDL post" message). - it's easy to save posts that you are interested in - it's easy to filter and categorize posts in your own way (as opposed to an organization imposed by a thread based forum). PROS of a thread based forum: - searching is easy (assuming it's a well written forum; searching isn't possible on a email list, though EVDL has a search-based database as well). - keeping clutter out of your email - possible to handle large data items (e.g. photos, pdfs) without replicating that data to each user through email. I'm sure there are more pros and cons. What might work is a blend of the two. I've seen various forums that try to do this. But, as others have pointed out, they lack one or another "requirement" of EVDL, such as knowing who the poster is. I'm wondering if, for example, Word Press can be configured to put the poster in the subject line. I think it meets all the other requirements, although it has some annoying "features" too. For that matter, can EVDL be modified to do so? Maybe that would solve the spam filter problem. Peri -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of EVDL Administrator Sent: 01 May, 2014 8:52 PM To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List Subject: Re: [EVDL] EVDL problems for Yahoo, AT&T, AOL users On 1 May 2014 at 22:40, Dennis Miles wrote: > Perhaps we should convert to the system "DYI Electric Car" uses and > check in occassionally on the conversations instead of having the > torrents of E-Mails we are accustomed to. Changing with the times, so > to speak. This is a discussion we've had countless times over the years. It's been a while, so I suppose we're going to have to go over it again. ;-) Though I'm not a regular at DIY, as far as I can tell, they do the webforum thing pretty well. What would an EVDL webforum have to offer over that? What would prompt people to give some of their valuable time to us, when there's already an ongoing and effective resource of the same type? An EVDL webforum would probably be ad-free and noncommercial. However, my perception is that while that matters to me and a few other people, most folks just block the ads. Some block them with browser plugins; others block them in their minds, or at least they think they do. We'd certainly be more for privacy. We wouldn't track our users or sell their preference data (I don't know for sure that DIY does this, but most ad- supported sites do; just view the page source to see all the calls to third- party URLs). Again, though, I think that matters to only a small number of people. IMO, the fact that the EVDL uses email is its main advantage. Maybe I'm not typical, but I have logins on several webforums for my other interests. I find one that's interesting, sign up, read it for a while, contribute here and there - and then get busy and drift away. I have links for lots of them in my browser's bookmarks toolbar, but I still don't visit most daily, or even weekly. I read EVDL mail every day, simply because it's there when I open my mail. But would I visit it on a webforum daily? Doubtful. Would you? Really? David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA EVDL Administrator = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not reach me. To send a private message, please obtain my email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
