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

Mark Grossman markig at westnet.com
Sat Feb 23 00:29:06 EST 2008 

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
> >
> > ______________________________________________
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> > Meteorite-list mailing list
> > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> >
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> > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> >
>

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