Email Lists V Discussion boards;

The humble email list (listservs) is a easy way to share and receive information  suitable for the novice and the person who needs information displayed in their faces without too much to do. Because the system is based on email everytime the email system is opened there they are. Unfortunately the disadvantages are that the numbers of emails flooding in can become quite frustrating. When this happens it is hard, if not impossible to manage and the information often gets deleted without being sighted. Interest often depends on subject lines.

My experience with email lists is that they don’t work for me (but then again this doesn’t mean they don’t work for others), but the information shared can be from a broad and knowledgable spectrum. Participation can become boring.

Discussion boards (Bulletin Boards, Forums)

Dependant on how boards are set up they can be either userfriendly or nightmarish. Often attached as a support for a number of services offered online the participant searches out and visits the appropriate boards. Boards are much more user centred and participation is up to the user. Because they are web based they offer a point of contact, searchable by search engine.

I feel the services that utilise the best of both worlds are the better option, Yahoo Groups being a successful example.