> I don't understand. What do you mean by a "group"?
>=20
A Yahoo group, for example. At one time, there was a group set up for =
this
list as a backup in case the list went down.=20
When you join a group, you specify whether you'd like to receive each =
post
as email or if you'd like to read them online, in a format similar to a
forum. If you want them sent to you in email, it would be no different =
from
what we have now with NewtonTalk. You can still get the emails coming =
into
your Inbox on your Newton or your Mac or whatever, no problem.=20
However, if another user--like me, for example--wanted to read them =
online,
something like a forum, they could easily set their preferences to do =
that.
Then they wouldn't get any email but they could go to the website and =
read
them there. Nothing comes into their email at all.=20
Each user can access the information in a way that works for them.
I belong to about twenty such groups. One of them is the group of a =
board of
directors I'm on, for a corporation that operates literary conferences
around the world. I have that one set to have emails sent to me, because =
I
usually need to respond to any posts immediately. Those emails show up =
in my
inbox in Outlook, where I have them filtered directly to a folder for =
them.
On the other hand, I belong to several groups which generate at least as
much posting as NewtonTalk. I don't want all that email coming in, so I =
have
those set to read online. Every day or two I go to the website and skim =
the
titles of the recent posts. I only read the ones I want and ignore the =
rest.
For the ones I read on the web, I don't have to worry about filtering my
email or about having 150 mails waiting for me when I'm gone for a =
couple of
days. I don't have to set anything to Vacation mode, either, so I don't =
miss
anything. In fact, I can go through the past couple of years worth of
messages if I want to, since they stay there on the website, and I can =
use
the Search function to find particular topics if I need to. It's a great =
way
to manage a lot of messages.
If NewtonTalk were set up this way, users would have a choice of how =
they
wanted to read the posts. That's my point. When this came up the last =
time,
it quickly changed into a "forums are no good for Newton users" =
discussion,
and I completely agree. Now it has come up again, with the heading =
"Forum,"
and naturally we all chime in that "forums are no good for Newton =
users."
But let's at least discuss the alternative of a group. What are the pros =
and
cons? Certainly the fact that different users with differents needs or
preferences or hardware could all be accomodated should count for =
something.
Groups of this kind are very common nowadays, and they include a place =
to
upload files and many other features, and they're free. Of course you =
have
to sign up for Yahoo, but so what? You can have your normal email used, =
you
don't have to use the one they give you. You don't get a whole bunch of =
junk
mail to your regular email unless you allow it. And this isn't just used =
by
kids to exchange pictures of Eminem or Star Trek fans to share =
fanfiction.
This method is used by organizations of all kinds to manage their
communications. It's used by churches and schools, by companies and =
groups
of professionals who need a way to manage communications. It's easy to =
join,
it's easy to use, and most importantly, it can be customized for the
individual needs of each member.
Like I said, there was a time when NewtonTalk had a group like this set =
up.
Setting up such a group is extemely simple, so if that group is no more =
we
can easily set up another one.=20
Can we at least consider it?
Steve Vander Ark
-- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries List FAQ/Etiquette/Terms: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Sun Jan 26 2003 - 04:02:07 EST