Module Two Tasks - Lists

 

Pros and Cons of email lists vs discussion boards?

In the red corner, weighing in at a hefty 600mb is the simple but effective email list and in the blue corner, a veritable welter weight - showing size does not matter is discussion board …… the crowd almost goes wild (please note all weights and personalities are completely fictional ;)).

An email list works by sending mail to a group of people with a common interest who have chosen to subscribe to it.  When a member sends a message to the lists address, the listserver program will automatically send it on to all other members, unless it is a moderated list, in which case it will need to wait for approval before being sent out.  The other members can then respond in turn.

A discussion board, on the other hand, requires you to log in each time you wish to read or post a message. 

So already there is a huge difference in size, depending on how active your chosen email list is, you could end up being bombarded by emails and it can be difficult to follow threads.  Discussion boards are usually well laid out and easy to follow, provided members follow the posting guidelines.  You can perform searches easily, sometimes choose to only view new posts or see posts from a certain date.

Can you tell who I have my money on?

What they do both have in common is longevity – be careful and mindful of what you write – it could come back to bite you on the bum!