Switching services REDUX

[Murli Nagasundaram]

I find it hard to believe, but I started this whole mess just 10 days ago!
At this point, as due punishment, I feel like offering my posterior for an
Open Space Flagellation - The Law of Two Feet would work soundly in this
case.

Since I posted the message appended below, some things have changed on the
LISTSERV:

OSLIST at listserv.boisestate.edu can now be accessed over the web.  At the
website you may view all postings from 1998 on to the present, subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, and post and read messages. In fact, the
archive listings are somewhat better than egroups -- you can sort by
subject, date, or author. The archives are organized by month, which may or
may not be inconvenient. You don't have the other benefits of polling,
listing links, calendar, etc.

In terms of responsiveness, it looks like support from egroups is zero,
although rarely needed, while responsiveness from the Boise State Univ. IT
group is a little bit better but not by much.

Egroups has another advantage that multiple moderators can be assigned so
that you don't have to depend only on me, esp. if I get hit by a truck or
am traveling.

For some strange reason, while I have added every OSLIST at listserv member to
egroups, only 149 are showing up at the egroups website.  I don't know if
this a glitch, or that the rest didn't respond to the invitation.

If I set up a poll, that will gather responses from only the 149 currently
on egroups.  But I'll do it anyway.

In response to Peggy's message:  For those who use email exclusively, it
doesn't matter either way.  For those who might be using the website too,
Egroups has a slight edge, but no longer as great as it was earlier.

As regards my recommedation -- I reserve it until after the poll.

Murli
List Vassal
=====================================================================

On Tue, 13 Jun 2000 16:16:43 -0600, Murli Nagasundaram
<rismurli at cobfac.boisestate.edu> 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