Re: We need a forum!

[Rob Kendrick <lua-l@...>]

On Fri, Jul 02, 2004 at 09:06:12AM -0500, Michael Cumming wrote:
> Interesting discussion so far.  I did not think there would be so many mail list holdovers :)  In reality, mailing lists are in decline.  This is the last list that I belong to.  All others have finally seen the light and gone to a bulletin board format.  They offer huge advantages that cannot be ignored.
> 
> Your email address are not in full view.

Mailing lists can do this to.

> No cut and paste for subjects, just click reply.

So, just like with a mailing list, then?  (I've just clicked reply...)

> PM for directly speaking with other users.

Err, are you saying email can't do that?

> No back and forth through a 200 line text email trying to follow the topic your are interested.

I can't remember the last 200 line email I saw on here.  And if people
replied inline (like this reply) then it makes it very simple to follow.

> Subject areas that can be subscriped to so you get every message without even having to check.

What exactly do you mean by this?  If the list gets too busy, I'm sure
you can just create a lua-l-dev and a lua-l-users, etc.

> Very easy to search, no thread disconnect because of a spelling/cut/paste error in the subject line.

As mentioned before, there's a very fine full-text search facility for
this mailing list.  And the spelling/cut/paste error is an error in your
use of your client, anyway.

> When you come back to the forum and logon you can simply click view all new posts since last visit. 

Just like when I fire up my mail client, then?  (All new posts are in
bold.)

> File attachments.

Just like mailing lists and email, then?

> Message formating which makes including code much easier and more readable.

Eh?  I can't even thing of a retort for this, because it's such an
out-of-this-world statement.

> No maintenance like a wiki.

BBs *do* have maintenance, about as much as a mailing list.  Wikis solve
a very very different problem to forums or mailing lists, anyway/

> You can reference valuable threads with an url making it easy to point others in the right direction.

That's what the online archive's for.

> etc etc etc.

Please, provide more reasons.  I'm interested.


-- 
Rob Kendrick, Pepperfish Ltd.         +44 (0)845 226 4146  www.pepperfish.net
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