Good analysis Stan,
A listserv is certainly old tech ... and it is linear in form, in that messages
are sequential and not sorted by topic or focus. Web forums are parallel in
that they are often sorted by area of focus and then by topic.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both: in the linear world, when you are not
even sure you know how to ask the question, you might receive guidance from the
collective wisdom of the list. Similarly, when you have a multifaced problem,
a broad approach often helps.
In a parallel world: it is better if you know what to ask before posting a
question, but once posted, you might receive targetted replies from those
interested in that topic. However, there is no guarantee that a question put
in the wrong location on the forum or very poorly worded will receive any
replies (and to a lesser extent, the wording problem could also affect replies
on a list too).
In the linear world, searching by topic is a more complex process (although
both the big list and 6pack do have searchable archives, but it is a bit
complicated to do so). The web forum search facility is generally better and
much easier to use.
>From my perspective (and as someone who runs an IT department that makes
>extensive use of, and supports forums, and doesn't have any listservs
>anymore), I must admit to being lazy when it comes to plowing through the
>various headings, and lengthy topic listings presented in a big forum site ...
>the email list serves me up a list of questions or topics that I can choose to
>reply to or to ignore without me having to do anything else: much more
>efficient, and since I have the big list and 6 pack pointed to the same email
>address, it is very easy to handle. Also, just as Stan observed, many people
>can access email much more easily than web-based information sources ... and
>the ease with which you can go "off-list" is much easier in the listserv world
>(and when I think of the remarkably helpful conversations I have had with
>listserv members off the list, that alone would keep me using the system!!).
I suppose at the end of the day, it comes down to what you are used to ... and
now as an IT old timer, I guess I'm just used to the older, simpler, quicker to
handle, easier to jump into email approach, with all of its limitations!
**************
Tony Gordon
72 TR6
**************
(ps ... when I'm really stuck and a question to the list doesn't bring forth an
answer ... I do search the listservs AND the VTR and 6Pack forums!)
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