New wiki

[Toni Mueller]

Hi,

I'm sorry, but I can't let you say this unanswered:

On Thu, 12.03.2009 at 18:15:36 +0000, Jim Ohlstein <jim.ohlstein at gmail.com> wrote:
> A mailing list is a forum of sorts but without the features of more
> sophisticated software. 

a mailing list is something entirely different, imho.

> File attachments,

send mail with an attachment

> private messagiing,

send email to one person only (ie, outside the list)

> threaded discussions,

standard feature of non-broken MUAs (ie, mutt, Thunderbird, Evolution,
etc).

> easy access to older posts

mailing list archive, may be even downloadable

> to name but a few. 

Forums typically have these additional drawbacks in my experience:

- synchronous communications - ie, it won't work if the forum server
  has a hiccup or is currently hacked.

- tends to mess up attachments

- stricter limits on attachment sizes

- centralized (even private messages need to go through the server)

- threading is usually sub-par with MUAs, flexible sorting and
  searching is usually not available

- sorting and searching taxes the server, not the client (as with MUAs)

- broken search results with about any search engines because whole
  threads appear on one page

- usually no downloadable archives

- tend to vanish in a whim if the admin loses interest, or if the forum
  package gets swapped (all links break, nobody fixes them, archives
  are lost forever)

- slow performance, high cost for the operator (much higher than a
  mailing list)


> It's simply another way to communicate and get/offer support.

Yes, and one that causes more fraction and friction to the user base
(imho).



Kind regards,
--Toni++