Module 2 - Lists Task

While I am a regular user of announcement type email lists (common subscribe to a newsletter type deal), discussion mail lists are something of which I have never been big fan or user of.

Mail lists have been around for ever and have played a large role in providing a simple means and opportunity for discussion and knowledge dissemination. While this is true, I can't really say they are my cup of tea. I think in all the years that I have been using the internet, I have been compelled to only subscribe to one or so discussion lists.

Putting my personal biases aside I went out and completed a little research, seeking out the hidden world of mailing lists. The results, to put it simply, have amazed me with what is available on the net. With my first stopping point Yahoo Groups, I found a massive range of topics covering all walks of life. If you want to find out some random and obscure information say about the world of Bollywood, then this is a great starting point.

So why is it so many people find mail lists relevant still? Not everyone has broadband, if your access to the internet is limited then being on an email list as digest may have great benefit to you. The ability to read the email offline would allow you to catch up with news and information at your convenience, rather than trawling through posts in a forum to find what you need would be very appealing.

On the flip forums or discussion boards such as VBulletin, SMF or PHPBB, offer a richer and fuller user experience which can require more resources and time online. From my personal experience, I find the communities created through these types of forums an attraction. Now coupled with RSS feeds available on most popular forum software, you can keep track of conversations or find support (now my general reason for using forums) quickly and easily.

Interestingly enough after this task I now have a better understanding of where discussion mailing lists sit in the wide web world. And while I'm not going to be rushing out to sign up to find out about Mermaids; I now understand how both forms of communication fit in the general scheme of all things net. And although I don't think either is particularly any better than the other for communicating information in general, each offers the user a different experience in communication depending on their end need or available resources.

As a final piece I found this great little piece by a blogger Alexander Gomes on just this subject. While Alexander's bent is pro forum, some interesting alternative points are raised through the comments. Enjoy.