Message Board, Sailnet Maillist or Both. Please Vote

[Admin]

<p class="MsoNormal">There has been discussion about either replacing this message board with a maillist from Sailnet, or using both.&nbsp; We want to know what you think.&nbsp; I've set out below what I believe to be the advantages of each choice.&nbsp; If I've left something out or misstated it,&nbsp; please add your thoughts.&nbsp; After you've read through this list and other comments that may be added, please let us know how you feel. &nbsp;</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Using both the Maillist and this Message Board at the Same Time</font></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;Advantages&nbsp;</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Everyone who has access only to one forum can still post.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Anyone can use whichever forum he prefers.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;Disadvantages&nbsp;</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">In order to see all messages, one must check both forums</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">In order to ask a question and get a reply from the maximum number of participants, a message must be posted on both forums</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">If you use only one forum, you won’t be able to see what everyone else has said</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">It will become extremely difficult to post the message threads onto the c34 website.&nbsp; It will become almost impossible if the same thread exists on both.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;<font size="4">Advantages of a Maillist</font></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;A Maillist is easier to use.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">There’s no learning time for email.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Email can be downloaded for review and reply later.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Email is immediate.&nbsp; One gets notified right away. [The next version of this message board will have this feature].</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">With a Maillist there’s no registration or password.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">A message board feels less personal than the maillist.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">A message board requires being&nbsp; on line for an extended period of time.&nbsp; With email you can be off and on quickly.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">With the maillist spellcheck works.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Accessible for users who only have email.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;<font size="4">Advantages of &nbsp;a Message Board </font>
 </p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">No need to save messages on your computer.&nbsp; </p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Mailbox isn’t filled with multiple messages.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Accessible for people who are not currently C34 owners such as prospective owners.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Accessible to the majority of C34 owners who do not wish to subscribe to the maillist, yet are interested in problems and solutions others have.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">You can see all messages (new and old) from any computer, anywhere (valuable if you’re traveling, or use a home and office computer).</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">There’s a working search engine for messages.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">The Sailnet maillist isn’t monitored, the message board is (the message board administrator can delete obscene or inappropriate messages, and ban spammers).</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Threads from the message board can be easily exported to the Catalina 34 website.&nbsp; The maillist will require a dedicated individual to sift through emails, and then create web pages for the more interesting threads (Capt. Al did that before, but has resigned).</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">The message board allows pictures and polls.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">Accessible for users who don’t have email.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Please Vote:</font></p>
 
 Dave Smith
 webmaster@c34.org
 Bear Territory #1421
 
 [This message was edited by Dave Smith, Webmaster on June 18, 2001 at 04:02 PM.]

[Ron Hill]

I really don't care if there's a mailboard with the maillist or not as long as there's a maillist.
 Ron
 
 Ron, Apache #788

[pklein]

I decided to make it easier to navigate to the message board by creating a shortcut and pasting it on my desktop.  Now it's only one click to get to the message board and I find it much more convient to access.  Therefore, as a good Chicagoan, I am voting a second time to save the message board.  
 
 If others are interested in creating a shortcut on their desktop (main windows page) try using the right click feature of windows.  I'm sure Dave can and probably will provide a guide to creating a shortcut.
 
 It's really a convenient way to navigate to this specific part of the web.
 
 Phill Klein
 Andiamo #977
 Montrose Harbor - Chicago

[Bill Sedgwick]

Previously I would look forward to checking for email from my "Catalina friends". The message board is the best I've seen and is superior technology but emotionally I miss the letters from my sailing pals. Sorry, but I must vote for the mail list.
 
 I can't help but be impressed on how good the message board is and all the effort by Dave Smith but I'm just an old fart who confortable with email.
 
 George Sedgwick
 SchatzSea #1031

[Re and Frank Puff #691]

Crucial to your comparison is the fact that Sailnet mail list is unmonitored.  One gets duplicate postings from the all Catalina list and the more specific one (I assume you would have a C34 list).  The message traffic is awful requiring lots of reading and clean up.
 
 Go with the super function message board is my vote.
 
 Besides, I just downloaded the instructions for the messag board.  It has lots of function that we will put to use later.

[msenko]

On some of the other email lists I belong to, this is my first encounter with this style of message board.
 
 I think I see the problem that folks might object to in using this format. It is the lack of seeing the message you are trying to reply to. In order to help stay on topic, one must copy the post to something like Notepad, compose the reply and then copy the reply back here. This is inconvenient or I am somehow using this incorrectly.
 
 The positives are in being able to access this site from any computer and seeing all of the replies threaded to one message.
 
 So to vote, I would go for this format. Though inconvient to reply to, it does allow more flexibility for access, especially during those times at work during lunch.
 
 Mike Senko
 Seattle

[Gary Wilson]

Reading my C34 email on Saturday mornings was always one of my favorite things to look forward to.  However, I am concerned about getting a lot of spam now.  I never had a problem with spam until the mail list went down.  The day after it ended, I began receiving 10-12 spams every week. There must have been a "leak" in the transition. I am concerned that an unmonitored Sailnet list will have a lot of spam.
     The message board is a change from the familiar, but it is growing on me.

[Admin]

In Phil Klein's message posted on July 2 he states:
 
  I think I see the problem that folks might object to in using this format. It is the lack of seeing the message you are trying to reply to. In order to help stay on topic, one must copy the post to something like Notepad, compose the reply and then copy the reply back here. This is inconvenient or I am somehow using this incorrectly.
 
 Actually, there are two ways to see the thread while typing.  The first is to scroll down on the input screen.  It's all there to read.  However, most people just use the "Back" button on the browser.  If you want to look at the thread while you are typing a reply, just click on the "Back" button (or in Netscape, the "<--" button) --- read the message, then click on "Forward" or "-->".
 
 Dave Smith
 webmaster@c34.org
 Bear Territory #1421

[Admin]

<html>

<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0">
<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<title>New Page 1</title>
<meta name="Microsoft Border" content="b, default">
</head>

<body>



Thank you for your input which has been transmitted to your board of
directors.&nbsp; The polls are now closed, and here are the results:</p>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2"><center>
<table cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="90%" border="0">
  <tr>
    <td bgColor="#000001">
    <table cellSpacing="1" cellPadding="4" width="100%" border="0">
      <tr bgColor="#ffffff">
        <td vAlign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">
        Results (74 votes counted so far):
        <table cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%" border="0">
          <tr>
            <td bgColor="#cccccc" colSpan="2" height="1">
            <spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></spacer>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td height="20"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">I
            prefer there to be a maillist and this message board.</font></td>
            <td height="20">
            <img height="10" hspace="3" src="http://c34.infopop.net/infopop/bar.gif" width="118" border="0"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="1">17/23%</font></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td bgColor="#cccccc" colSpan="2" height="1">
            <spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></spacer>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td height="20"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">I
            prefer the maillist only.</font></td>
            <td height="20">
            <img height="10" hspace="3" src="http://c34.infopop.net/infopop/bar.gif" width="97" border="0"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="1">14/19%</font></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td bgColor="#cccccc" colSpan="2" height="1">
            <spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></spacer>
            </td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td height="20"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">I
            prefer this message board only.</font></td>
            <td height="20">
            <img height="10" hspace="3" src="http://c34.infopop.net/infopop/bar.gif" width="300" border="0"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="1">43/58%</font></td>
          </tr>
        </table>
        </font></td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center></font>


</p>

</body>

</html>

Dave Smith