Beloved MORPHMET members,
I am exploring the possibility of moving morphmet to another internet venue and format that will hopefully address some problems and limitations that the current list either is or is about to confront. This will be a google group that will look somewhat like an internet forum or, if you prefer, look the same as the current email-only mailing list. Check it out at http://groups.google.com/group/morphmet_test_000 Below is the welcome message I posted there with more explanation. For the time being, this is an open group that anyone can join, but for which postings are fully moderated. When and if the time comes, I will move everyone over manually. Your feedback on this new format is appreciated. Best, the morphmet mod (dslice) PS: Oh, if you are in the email-only camp, send me an email message and I will add you to the group's members list so you need not even start up your browser to participate in the evaluation. Hey, I aim to please. PPS: Remember all posts to this test area should be considered ephemeral. Please avoid substantive content. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [NEW MORPHMET TEST] Welcome! Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:56:13 -0700 (PDT) From: dslice <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] To: morphmet_test_000 <[email protected]> This is a test group so that current morphmet members can try out a possible new venue. Feel free to post, discuss, send feedback to the morphmet list, etc. Let me (the moderator) know what you think. Why a change? There are several reasons: 1) There have been some difficulties with the current service provider of late. A system upgrade last year broke automated moderation, and the current provider's stand is "moderation not supported." I get around this, but it is a might painful. 2) We are approaching (n=902 with multiple new subscribers weekly) the 1000 subscriber limit for mailing lists on the current provider. 3) Last summer, I solicited feedback on the possibility of moving morphmet to a forum like format instead of a mailing list. The responses were extremely bimodal and approximately evenly divided. On the one hand, several declared they would unsubscribe if it went to a forum-style format. On the other, there was a chorus of "about time, this would be the greatest thing since..." 4) An online forum acts as its own archive. We will still send messages to mail.archive, but the original messages will always be available here, though there is a time-limit on replies. #3, of course, left me in a bit of a quandry, but with some research and prompting by my students, I found and have become comfortable with and somewhat confident in the various services provided by Google. The setup of the Google groups is that it can be moderated. I can move the entire current list over en masse. We can have moderated uploads and attachments. And especially, users can choose to use the group as a Forum or see it entirely as an email list. That is users can read and post on the group website, others will see all posts and submit replies and new submissions entirely via email. I.e., the best of both worlds. The one limitation of the GG format is that you can't have subfora like botanical morphometrics or anthropological discussion, or mv stats, etc. Just one MORPHMET heading, but that is not really different from what we have now. In all, this seems a reasonable compromise. So, I have set up this list (it will eventually go away completely) for everyone to try out and give me feedback on. Please do so. Enjoy, the morphmet mod (dslice) PS: I have turned on full moderation. There are other options that might hasten the flow of information, but a number of you have been very grateful for total moderation in the past. I feel that is still a worthwhile thing.
