Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Best Solution For an Email Discussion Forum?
John3 writes "For the past 15+ years I've maintained The Hardlines Digest (URL omitted to reduce the /. effect), an email discussion list for members of the retail hardware and lumber business. Since the beginning I've run the list on a Windows box running Lyris Listmanager, and it's worked admirably over the years. However, the list now has over 2,600 members and Listmanager doesn't have a nice web interface for users that like to read via their browser. Listmanager also doesn't handle attachments and HTML formatting well for the daily 'digest' version of the discussions. Finally, I'd really like to move hosting off-site so I don't need to maintain the server. The list members are hardware store owners and many are technically challenged, so I need to keep change to a minimum and make it easy for them to migrate. I've considered Google Groups and that seems to have most of the features I need. Are there any other low cost solutions for hosting a large discussion list?"
(Formerly egroups.com and onelist.com.) Members can continue receiving emails if they prefer that method of delivery, as I do, or they can read directly on the web. It also allows for the storage of files and photos in the group
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
The D programming language people have successfully combined a mailing list and tradition web forum into one. What's more, the web forum is lightning fast to boot (fastest ever forum I've ever used - why can't phpBB etc. be that fast?).
The exact specifics are unknown to me, but from what I've heard, they've done a terrific job:
http://forum.dlang.org/
Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
Mailman is not without its faults (which is why 3.X is under development and shows considerable promise) but 2.X is stable, scalable, portable, easy to use from both the web-based GUI and the command line (my preference), complies with relevant standards (such as RFCs 2142, 2369 and 2919), behaves sensibly under duress, integrates well with multiple MTAs, and makes it easy to handle migrations such as yours (by doing a mass invite followed by confirmed opt-in). This is why it's largely supplanted its competitors, particularly majordomo, which was the tool of choice for many years for a LOT of mailing lists. I suspect that it will further eat into the mindshare of similar packages once 3.X is out.
Yahoogroups is a poor choice: it's notoriously unstable, completely insecure, and relies on Yahoo's horribly-maintained email infrastructure, which has been completely overrun by abusers for a decade. Googlegroups is marginally better, although it is also a massive source of spam (best practice on Usenet is to drop all Google-originated articles), it does not comply with standards, and attempts to contact a competent, responsive postmaster yield nothing.
Your best course of action is likely to lease the cheapest (reputable) host that you can find and install Mailman on it. This not only keeps control firmly in yours hands (thus insulating you from the vagaries of third parties) but it also keeps your options open for the future.
Don't foist Google Groups on your users.
Unfortuantely, it seems to be the default choice for tech-support forums. And it seems particularly poorly-suited for that task.
The bigget problem is not that it is way behind other forum software (it is) but the "cowboy" mentality of whoever pushes out a new version seemingly daily. It works one day, then it doesn't the next. Fortunately, with the daily release schedule, then it works again a few days later, but then it's different, and you have to figure out how to use it again.
If they're wanting to get their porn at the same time as talk about their business, then it might be a good idea. Valid point though. Mine. No yours I mean. ;) Too bad experience has had to make the process so onerous.
Aside from that, it isn't really a good idea in this case. The OP mentioned that the users are somewhat technically challenged. Most people are unaware of usenet. Most wouldn't know how to go about connecting to an account. Yes it is no more difficult than setting up an email account but most people can't set up an email client if it isn't automated for them. As well, most home and/or business internet accounts these days have stopped including usenet access. So the OP's users would have to spend more money to subscribe to a usenet service when there are free alternatives. As much as I like to hear about someone wanting to add to what I consider the legitimate side of usenet, this is a case where it isn't a good solution.
I still consider usenet to be the home of the true programming geek. :D. But even this is slowly dying. The funny thing is that over the years, it is the one forum that hasn't really ever disappeared. Unlike so many of the popular internet forums of the day which come and go over the years (usually as the site owners try to commercialize them). You'd think that usenet would be a favoured forum if only because of its stability. But then again, the lack of access from home and business internet accounts is partly to blame. The perception that I joked about that it is only a place for porn or pirated films and music is another. Ah well.
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
Don't know why this was downvoted -- this is a legitimate suggestion.
Google Wave (now Apache Wave) is now open-source, so you can deploy your own. In my experience it works nicely, though there are certainly some things to be wary of, like the ability to unaccountably edit other people's submissions.