Switching services

[Artur F. Silva]

Murli (and all):

I completely agree with your suggestion to switch to egroups. First, I would
like to say that an "e-mail distribution list" is an e-mail distributing
list! To change
for a system that can only be consulted on-line (even if its answer times
were good,
which is NOT the case) is a different, more expensive and less accessible way.
So I wouldn't favour "more chances" if they are worse choices...

But, egroups as a supplementary advantage you have not mentioned, that is
related
with what I feel as a major problem of the current listserv: if you send a
message
to (say) a OSLIST group at egroups, with the subject. "xxx"; all the
subscribers
will receive a message with the "Subject: [OSLIST] xxx". This allows to
immediately
identify all OSlist messages (quite convenient for people on different
lists). Can this
be done with the current listserv? If not, I suggest we change. (the old
address
can be used as a backup for some time).

Regards

Artur

PS: And no, the little advertisment messages are not intrusive; and we can
be free of them for a small fee.

-----------------------



At 16:16 13-06-2000 -0600, Murli Nagasundaram wrote:
>All,
>
>I have been using the commercial facility egroups.com to run a couple of
>lists on a test basis, and am quite impressed with it.  I'd like your
>opinion on whether we should switch to it from our present listserv.  I am
>considering the switch because of some recurring problems and limitations
>of the present system that I am seeing both from feedback from Listmembers
>and from my inability to respond adequately to requests.
>
>Egroups has the following advantages:
>
>1.  It's free.
>2.  It automatically archives messages which can be retrieved from the
>website without first dislocating your shoulder.
>3.  Messages can be viewed both in chronological and "threaded" form <by
>subject line>.
>4.  The website lets you store files.  You can also list useful web links,
>maintain databases of information and an event calendar (which notifies you
>when the event becomes due).
>5.  You can run polls (useful esp. when you have poetry contests, I guess!)
>6.  It is easy to assign multiple moderators or owners of the list.
>7.  You have the option of reading messages only at the website without
>receiving email messages.
>
>Egroups has the following disadvantage (as far as I know):
>
>1.  Every message comes appended with a little advertisement.  It is not
>very intrusive though, and easy to ignore.
>
>Our present listserv is free, and has no ads.  It has none of the other
>advantages of egroups.  If you have any thoughts on this subject do air
>them.  If there are no objections, I will arrange to switch the list to
>egroups.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Murli
>List-DemiDei