[meteorite-list] Fw: What doesn't this list use an online forumformat?

[Mark Grossman]

This message was written to Bob - it was intended for the entire list.  I
just pressed the reply key and noted that the list was not included in the
response.

Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Grossman" <markig at westnet.com>
To: "Bob Loeffler" <bobl at peaktopeak.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 12:26 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What doesn't this list use an online
forumformat?



> Perhaps the issue is not one of forum vs. list, but one of unmoderated vs.

> moderated forum or email list.

>

> I belong to several email lists that are moderated, and they work very

well.

> It's certainly more work for the moderator, but it keeps incendiary email

> off list, as well as correspondence which should really be personal and

kept

> between two members off-list.

>

> And I know that everyone will say that you can always use the delete key,

or

> it's important to keep free speech, etc. - but those arguments tend to

> obscure an important issue.

>

> When someone joins a list, is not a member of the "in-group" and sees

> negative posts or incendiary posts on the list, if just doesn't reflect on

> those individuals, it reflects on the whole mailing list and the tone it

> creates, such as the "comfortable or warm feelings" that I read about

> associated with the meteorite forum.  But that type of feeling has nothing

> to do with whether it is a forum or a list - it has to do with the type of

> posts that the moderator allows onto the list.  Hopefully the members of

the

> forum or the mailing list make the moderator's job easy by following the

> guidelines for posting appropriate email.  And its the "comfortable and

warm

> feelings" that help to attract and keep new members, and encourage them to

> participate.  It may not make a big difference to members who have been on

> the list for years, but believe me, it makes a difference to people who

are

> new to the list.

>

> Just my two cents.

>

> Mark

>

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Bob Loeffler" <bobl at peaktopeak.com>

> To: "'Meteorite List'" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 11:58 PM

> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What doesn't this list use an online

> forumformat?

>

>

> > I also belong to a couple forums.  They are nice for some reasons, but

not

> > great for others.  Most of those have been mentioned already.

> >

> > One thing that I really like about e-mail lists is that I can click on

one

> > or two buttons in my e-mail application (Outlook) and go through all of

> the

> > messages easily.  The Delete button gets used half of the time; the

"next"

> > button gets used the other half (which means I want to keep the e-mail).

> > That is very simple.  Most forums have multiple sections, so you have to

> > click on different links or buttons to switch between the sections, then

> > click on a topic, and then scroll down through it. At the bottom of the

> > topic thread, some forum software will allow you to go to the next

topic,

> > but others don't.  Some allow you to go to the next section; others do

> not.

> > Navigation in e-mail is so much easier.

> >

> > In e-mail, I can sort my Inbox by subject, select multiple e-mails with

> that

> > subject and delete them (or move them to a specific folder if I want to

> keep

> > them).  You can't do that on a forum.  Sometimes the "already read"

> > automatic feature in all forums don't work correctly (especially if you

> > click on your web browser's Back button to go back to the section's

topic

> > index), so after you have read a topic in a forum/section, it doesn't

get

> > marked as read and the next time you go in there (maybe a few days or a

> week

> > later), you mistakenly re-read a topic that you've already read, even if

> no

> > new messages are posted in it.  That doesn't happen in e-mail with a

good

> > e-mail application.

> >

> > As others have said, most forums allow pictures and that is nice.

> >

> > Forums are also more like a community because you are able to see a

forum

> > member's profile or their avatar (a small personalized picture) like

David

> > mentioned.  But, when you have that community feeling, you tend to get a

> lot

> > of one-line replies like "Yeah, me too" or "Great job" or "Congrats on

> > finding that meteorite".  I like to "hear" that sometimes, and I even

say

> it

> > sometimes, but sometimes I'm too busy to wade through 20 of those to get

> to

> > the next meaningful post in the topic thread.  On an e-mail list such as

> > this one, we don't seem to get nearly as many of those.

> >

> > Sometimes having different sections in a forum are good if the forum is

> very

> > broad and the sections are very specific.  But people often post to the

> > wrong forum section so you won't be able to find the messages that you

are

> > looking for (unless you search through all of the sections).  You don't

> have

> > to worry about this with e-mail.  It all comes in to one place and it's

> very

> > easy to search.

> >

> > I know we aren't voting, but if we were, I would strongly vote to keep

> this

> > list as it is.  Anyone who would rather have the forum functionality,

they

> > are free to join those other forums.  I have joined other forums and

other

> > lists specifically so I can get all of the information possible.  I

think

> > that is the best way to do it, but you have to know what to expect in

> forums

> > vs. e-mail lists or you might go crazy.  :-)

> >

> > Regards,

> >

> > Bob

> >

> >

> > -----Original Message-----

> > From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com

> > [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Jerry

> > Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 2:52 PM

> > To: Notkin; Meteorite List

> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What doesn't this list use an onlineforum

> > format?

> >

> > I guess that sums up my sentiments as well! I must agree with Geoff even

> > though I do belong to some forums. But I like instant gratification

> whether

> > positive or negative and I seem to get that here. Also the knowledge

base

> > here is more apparent to me. Not that forums lack informed participants

> but

> > I can't seem to relate personally to them as readily as here. After all,

> > this is up automatically every time I open email. If that's lazy then I

> > confess sloth.

> > Jerry Flaherty

> > ----- Original Message ----- 

> > From: "Notkin" <geoking at notkin.net>

> > To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> > Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 1:51 PM

> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What doesn't this list use an online forum

> > format?

> >

> >

> > > Dear Listees:

> > >

> > > I find it bizarre and somewhat annoying that every so often someone

> joins

> > > the M-List and then tries to change it. "Why isn't it this way or that

> > > way?" you ask.

> > >

> > > The M-List, along with "Meteorite Times," are the cornerstones of the

> > > international meteorite collecting community and the List works great

> just

> >

> > > the way it is. If you don't want to read the "as it happens" news,

> > > subscribe to the daily digest. Very easy.

> > >

> > > The List has been around for 11 (?) years. I've been a member for more

> > > than ten, and I also run a large international fossil discussion

> group --

> >

> > > The Paleolist -- which employs exactly the same excellent Mailman

> software

> >

> > > which Art Jones uses to run the M-List. In fact, I modelled the

> Paleolist

> > > after the M-List in some respects (thank you Art), because it does

work

> so

> >

> > > very well.

> > >

> > > I've also been a web professional for more than ten years and in my

> > > experience, forums are difficult and inefficient to use, have security

> and

> >

> > > reliability issues, and -- please! -- the suggestion about moving to

> Yahoo

> >

> > > Groups? That is the WORST available discussion format -- 

> > > loaded with cheap ads and with Yahoo's tacky, antiquated and

> > > user-unfriendly features slapped on top.

> > >

> > > The M-List is the biggest and best meteorite discussion group out

there,

> > > and I'm quite sure it always will be. Love it or leave it  : )

> > >

> > >

> > > Respectfully,

> > >

> > > Geoff N.

> > > www.aerolite.org

> > > www.campometeorites.com

> > >

> > > ______________________________________________

> > > http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> > > Meteorite-list mailing list

> > > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> > > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

> >

> > ______________________________________________

> > http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> > Meteorite-list mailing list

> > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

> >

> > ______________________________________________

> > http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> > Meteorite-list mailing list

> > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

> >

>