That's a different perspective than some have.
Well, the Files area is 99% full, some people are ridiculing my choice
of a Yahoogroup, others are ridiculing my choice of email program...
I think it's shortsighted to say "...changing this isn't a good idea
to even think about."
A couple of people have posted about programs to add mail-list like
capabilities to a phpBB forum. My head is swimming, but it is supposed
to be possible.
"Mail2Forum Features
This is an overview. A more complete list should be kept here:
Features. See also Security and Privacy.
∗ Integrates with phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com): Allows posting to
a phpBB forum via an email, and users to receive email whenever a post
is made in a forum.
∗ Incoming messages are intelligently routed to the appropriate
forum and topic thread based on a special email header, or if that's
not present, matching the message subject.
∗ Users may subscribe or unsubscribe to mailing lists via the
phpBB interface. Administrators can also add and remove users via a
phpBB administration panel.
∗ Allow or disallow incoming email from unregistered users.
∗ May be used as a stand-alone mailing list server/manager, or
with an existing mailing list server (like listserv or majordomo).
∗ Can convert to and from HTML email.
∗ Uses phpbb security features. Users can only subscribe to forums
they have permission to read.
∗ Open source code under GNU/GPL license. "
Steve Greenfield
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
> No i haven't looked it yet, those forums are more or less all the same
> anyway.
>
> Quite frankly i do _not_ see this group as an archive of
information. If i
> want written down archived information i go to google and can get many
> pages which are much more coherent by the way.
> I see this group as a _discussion_ group, for members to talk with
each
> other. New members will need information, but the archives of a
discussion
> can not be the best source for that, ever. We may talk two weeks about
> some tiny little detail that is of no interest to a newcomer anyway.
If
> you worry about that create a wiki, so there is an easy way for
everyone
> to contribute and make somewhat of a starter's (maybe advanced) guide.
>
> What i see this group as is a place where i can go if i have a silly
idea
> and hear your opinions on it. It should be a place where someone new
to
> the topic can go and ask specific questions, or get help when
something
> doesn't work as per instructions.
>
> So IMO the archives are really secondary, and the forum style would
- for
> me - severely damage the main function of a discussion group.
> I like that i get all posts as email, because i will look into many
more
> posts than i would look into in a forum and learn new things. For
example
> i would probably rarely look in categories that do not directly
apply to
> what i do, but here i will still quite often learn new things. But the
> whole time it is still easy to skip all he topics i do not want to
follow
> further.
> The difference is between getting everything - and igonring the
> uninteresting bits, and getting noting, and actively searching out the
> interesting bits.
>
> I've used web based forums on a regular basis before, and i still
> occassionally have to use one if it's like for something specific i
need
> help with right now. But i'm not an active member of any web based
forum
> any more, only yahoo mailing lists, because the web interface is
simply so
> much unnecessary effort. I don't want to get "new reply"
notifications and
> have to click on some link to see the thing after it finally loaded,
and
> then reply via a web form i probably _hate_. I don't want to see
stupid
> smiley pictures or formatting i don't like. I don't want to see posts
> inside windows with loads of plainly useless frames and borders and
gaps
> and colors and spaces and tiny 8 point text and crap that can't be
changed.
>
> What i want is to get all the posts in my mail software, where it is
> displayed in a sensible manner with minimal fuss and overhead that i
can
> choose and that stays that way, and a way to reply in that same
software
> that is sufficiently convenient. When i also get local storage of past
> messages, easy off list direct mails, etc.. that's great.
>
> Yahoo does this, _still does it_ despite all the changes and
nonsense, and
> so far i haven't known anything else that does even come close in
> convienence and quality of service (yes it is crap, but it's still the
> best crap out there). When i look at my unread emails i have all the
posts
> there already, waiting for me, and i don't need to do anything or go
> anywhere or load something. A web based interface isn't ever going
to be
> nearly as convenient, and frankly those who prefer a web interface
must
> simply have a crappy email software, i have no other way of
understanding
> it.
>
> Anyway, i hope i was quite clear on why i believe changing this
isn't a
> good idea to even think about.
>
>
> ST
>