The structure of mail lists make them really tough to be flexible -- you
can't just set up a temporary list for a hot topic easily, because of the
logistics of the server and everyone having to sign up and
everything.
Mailing lists are not inflexible, it is the management interface that is
inflexible.
Case in point. I have and use a web-based system that is quite
literally two clicks (one to type in the name and one to type in the
welcome message) on a web page to create a list and two clicks (one to
destroy and one to confirm) to destroy it. Subscribing is one click or
email message to request a subscription, and one reply message to
confirm it. It is not obvious to me how to make this easier but your
mileage may vary.
Don't get me wrong. Large discussion lists can be a problem, and while
mailing list technology in general may not lend itself to the desired
functionality, that's no reason to blame the management. The management
just needs to be fixed.
Jim
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