Task: Explore some of the types of email lists available. What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards? Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
Log entry:
Email lists
- Positive:
- Gives you access to a broad range of views, particularly if it’s a list with many active members
- Good for keeping a small number of members informed and able to exchange views – e.g. for clubs
- Negative:
- It can be hard to manage so many emails, particularly if there are emails each day.
- Can seem more impersonal
- It can be harder to keep track of the thread of a conversation – e.g. an email sent in a digest form may appear out of context without the remaining discussion.
Discussion boards
- Positive:
- Gives you access to a broad range of views
- Can be easier to navigate/search than an email list
- Online discussion boards have features such as ‘ratings’ systems, which allow viewers to easily see the most popular or helpful posts
- If moderated, reduces likelihood of spam advertising and ‘flaming’
- You can view posts without signing up to be a member
- Gives you access to a broad range of views
- Negative:
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Online discussion forums provide a persistent record – this may make exchanges more formal, or may make people less inclined to post questions
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You don’t always need to be a member to view posts on a discussion board – this may raise privacy concerns for some members
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In general, I think email lists are well suited to a small, discrete ’community’. Their main advantage is that they provide a safer, less public forum for discussing ideas and sharing information. Discussion boards can be very useful because they provide a record of previous posts and are accessible to a wider audience. Both, however, get their value from the input of their members – and this doesn’t necessarily vary between an email list and a discussion board.
