North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>]

> Well, to be fair the question was 'how to get more people involved' and 'how 
> to get a better presence' for the group. Bulletin boards is how you do it.


I don't quite understand how a bulletin board would do this. Why? 
Personally, I avoid bulletin boards. I use them when I have to, but I 
prefer to get the messages in my email. I'm sure it's just personal 
preference, but why would a bulletin board be a magic fix for NAFEX? Is 
there research on this sort of thing?


> It is much easier to secure and back up a highly structured and organized 
> database as what is used in a bulletin board format than in a 'mailing list'.


I'm afraid I don't see this, either. It's easy enough to back up both, 
isn't it? True, a 'highly structured and organized database' might have 
some advantages as an archive, though that would depend on the postings, 
I'd think (which are not now all that 'highly structured'). And when you 
get right down to it, technology should help us do what we want more 
effectively, not force us into a rigid pattern of its own.

I belong to a lot of Yahoo Groups, where each person can decide whether 
to get emails or read postings on site. They are not organized quite 
like your forum, though. I've also used forums where there are email 
options when someone answers your posting. They're OK, but of course, I 
miss browsing others' messages (which usually must be done at the 
website). On this list, I learn the most from reading other questions 
and answers. As it turns out, I discovered GardenWeb before I found this 
NAFEX list, and there's plenty of information there. But I wanted an 
email format, so I just rarely visit GardenWeb.

But if there IS an advantage to a forum, and if some people here really 
*would* prefer that format, how about creating one with individual email 
options, sort of like Yahoo Groups does it. That way, each of us could 
choose our preferred method of receiving and replying to posts. Any 
problem with that? As I say, technology should be used to help people do 
what they want to do, not force them into what they don't.

Just a thought.

Bill

--
It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle 
to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in 
America. - Molly Ivins