Re: [APML] APML on a Forum

[Philip Perkins <pgp@astrocruise.com>]

Gene,

There is a precedent - about a year ago the RCOS list was a thriving and 
active regular mail list, then someone made a (unilateral) decision to move 
it to a web based forum.  Since then it has gradually declined and now 
there are only a handful of people who actively contribute - sometimes 
there is a week or so between posts from anyone.  There is a compelling set 
of disadvantages to a web based forum:

- it is highly inconvenient to have to remember to switch to a web browser 
and find the URL, rather than have the messages land automatically in the 
correct mailbox, as they do with an e-mail based list.  Months have gone by 
when I have actually forgotten that RCOS list exists because it is so "out 
of the way".  The discussion proceeds on another plane that gets forgotten 
about most of the time.

- a web based forum actively discriminates against those who are on dial-up 
or other pay-as-you-go connections.  Accessing a web based forum from a 
dial-up connection is excrutiatingly slow - far too slow to be usable, and 
many people on such connections pay per minute for all this wasted 
time.  Don't forget that many of us are out in the sticks and have no 
access to broadband, and there are many countries where broadband will not 
be prevalent for many years, except in cities.  Do we want to actively 
discriminate against many people who are in good dark-sky sites?

- accessing a web based forum is impossible while on the move, such as in 
airports, planes, etc.  An e-mail list allows you to download the latest 
messages before departure, and review and reply to messages while on the move.

- using an e-mail based list is quicker and more intuitive because you are 
using your regular e-mail client, rather than learning some new system for 
every different forum that you subscribe to.

- using an e-mail based list enables you to keep all forum material in one 
place, using one application, neatly separated into individual mailboxes 
that are accessible at any time, on-line or off-line... and you can easily 
keep your own archive of the mail list, on your local hard disk.

The only advantage I can think of for a web based forum is that it allows 
you to insert silly pictures, cartoons, and 'emoticons'... so be it, but I 
think that vast majority will be more impressed by ease of access to actual 
content.

For anyone troubled by the number of messages landing in their In-box, then 
use a mail filter - I think that just about every mail client has filters 
these days.  A filter sorts messages on receipt and drops them into their 
respective mailboxes automatically.  I have six astro-related filters and 
mailboxes set up and it is an extremely convenient way to access mail lists 
- the system works flawlessly because mail-list headers contain identifiers 
that are 100% predictable.  Dealing with SPAM is a separate issue and not 
related to mail-list filtering.

Based on the RCOS experience, if APML moves to a web based forum, then we 
may see about 80% of the original posts for the first week or two, but 
after that we should expect the numbers to drop off rapidly and after about 
six months it is doubtful that more than a quarter of the original 
subscribers would remain active.  Many more may remain 'on list' but there 
is strong evidence that the number of *active* participants would fall by a 
huge margin.

Regards
--Philip


At 15:27 03/11/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>I have an opportunity to move APML to a web-based forum.
>The software used is vBulletin and it would be hosted
>by a privately owned ISP which is (a) solvent and (b)
>I know where the owner lives <g>.
>
>The software supposedly allows mailings of postings,
>but I have not tested this feature yet.
>
>There has been a vocal minority in the past that has
>pushed for a location with web-based access.  Personally
>I prefer email and am very happy with the service
>that SEDS provides.  But I can see why the web access
>would be preferable to some.
>
>Gene Horr
>genehorr@houston.rr.com
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Astro-Photo mailing list
>Astro-Photo@seds.org
>http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo

Philip Perkins
<pgp@astrocruise.com>
Wiltshire UK & Luberon France
Astrocruise - http://www.astrocruise.com


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