|
 |
|
Discussion forums are essentially non real-time applications that enable users to communicate ideas, feelings and comments with others in a structured and organised manner. Generally, discussions are organised using a "thread" principle whereby messages (and relevant replies) are grouped together (i.e. a thread of conversation). Mailing lists go by different names - listservs, mail reflectors, discussion lists - but they all do basically the same thing: people subscribe to the list, and email messages sent to a central address are redistributed to everyone on the list. In practice, use of discussion forums and mailing lists are very similar. They just offer a slightly different way to share/access emailable information - discussion boards for WWW and mailing lists for email. This distinction can become blurred even further when one starts archiving mailing list data for Web access! (This will be discussed later on.) The following issues seem to be the most important when considering the purchase of discussion software. Integration How easy/difficult is it to integrate the discussion software with the Web server/environment? Customisability Can the Web pages being served to the user be customised? It is usually necessary to be able to serve advertisements etc. to users as you would on any other pages served within a Web site. This would demand minor customisation to the basic, out-of-the-box format that discussion pages usually conform to. How easy is it to modify served pages? Depending on the application software, this could involve anything from making simple HTML changes to low level coding in C or Perl. Moderation Will discussions be moderated? Moderated discussions are those that basically place newly submitted messages into a moderation queue, where they await the approval of a moderator. The task of a moderator is simply to read all submitted messages with a view to removing (or filtering out) undesirable messages (spam etc.). There are numerous vendors of discussion software, some of which will even host the discussion forums. A comprehensive list of these applications and the platforms on which they run can be found at http://thinkofit.com/Webconf/. The following lists the most popular Web discussion applications,
There is also a new version of WebBoard available. However, this is essentially Perl based and Perl customised program with all the limitations and problems this implies. It has not been included. This section highlights the main features of each of the applications listed in table above as stated by their various online sales brochures. eShare Forums URL:http://www.eshare.com/products/forums77.html
Collect information on your users. Support thousands of unlimited forums, users, and messages. Do keyword searches on a favourite topic/s and set an automatic archive schedule. Include sub-boards within major boards. Administrator can set up password-protected, moderated, and read-only boards. With a click, users can easily switch between chat and discussion forums. Show a user’s address as a click-able link when others review their messages OR have eShare Expressions send them an automatic email response. Users can add links to other Web pages within discussion forum posts. eShare Expressions can send users an email telling them that a reply to their message has been posted. Edit or delete inappropriate messages before they are posted. Administrators can organise and lead discussions by controlling the messages being submitted within forums; screen inappropriate posts. Multiple discussions are easy to navigate with clear organisation of posts and sequence. Assign different levels of administrative capabilities: such as moderate and read-only. Attach graphics, sound, video, or any other file to your messages.< HyperThreadURL: http://www.radiation.com/hyperthread/ User Features:
Administration Features:
iChat Message Boards URL: http://www.acuity.com/ichat/products/mb.html
WebCrossing URL: http://www.Webcrossing.com
Mailing Lists Mailing lists come in all shapes and sizes. There are more than 20 different list management programs, each with its own features and quirks. The most common type of mailing list is the discussion or talk list, in which every subscriber can post messages to the entire list. Discussion lists foster conversation among subscribers. With announcement lists, postings go only one way: from the list owner (that’s you) to the subscribers. Announcement lists are best suited to broadcast publications, such as press releases, product announcements, and newsletters (a good example is CNET’s Digital Dispatch, the largest mailing list on the Net). Most mailing lists have an open subscription list, which means that anyone with a valid email address can join. If you prefer to restrict your list’s membership to a specific group of people, you may choose a closed subscription list, where all subscription requests come to you for approval. In an unmoderated list, posts are immediately sent to all members of the list. In a moderated list, posts are filtered through a moderator (this compares the text in a message to a list of unusables e.g. f**k redirecting it if necessary), who must approve and may even edit messages before they are forwarded to the list. Moderated lists generally have less static than unmoderated lists, since off-topic or inappropriate information rarely makes it past the moderator. However, if the moderation is too restrictive or takes several days to forward subscribers’ posts, the list will lose its spontaneous appeal. Just as important, moderating a list can soak up a lot of time and energy. By offering a digest version of the list, you allow your subscribers to receive a packet of the day’s postings as one email message, rather than receive individual messages throughout the day. Subscribers love this option, since it reduces email traffic, especially with high-volume lists. Digest compilation can be based on time (all messages received before a certain time each day) or message size (the number and length of messages received). Size is preferable, since some subscribers’ email programs may have difficulty handling extra long messages.) Many list management programs automatically save past messages, creating an archive that can be accessed anytime. This is a handy feature, especially for news and other data-rich lists but, depending on the list throughput, it can quickly eat up disk space on your host’s mail server. Most of the commercial list management programs can be programmed to prevent email attachments from posting to the list. This is an important security measure, as nasty Net-borne viruses can hide inside files attached to email messages. When the unsuspecting recipient downloads and opens the attachment (usually, email programs do this automatically), it can make its way into the recipient’s hard drive. Any documents that your members would like to send to one another can easily be posted on the Net rather than attached to email. The leading packages in Internet list management software are Majordomo, ListProcessor (a.k.a. ListProc). SmartList, and Listserv. Of these four, Majordomo is Perl based and is therefore out since we are after absolute minimum server load. This section highlights the main features of each of the applications listed as stated by their various online sales brochures. ListProc URL: http://www.eshare.com/products/forums77.html
Number of postings per day. SmartList URL: http://www.eshare.com/products/forums77.htmlUnusual Features SmartList stands alone: it does many nice and unique things, and it also does them in a unique way, with a unique user interface-specifically, from the user's perspective it looks more like a manually-maintained list (the kind with a human being at "listname-request"), than it does like the "machine at a server" model of most packages, as pioneered by LISTSERV. Given that model, SmartList is specifically designed to do what users expect without imposing any particular syntax on them. It neither imposes nor suggests a strict format on subscribe and unsubscribe messages, instead accepting all common formats including commands in the Subject line and most requests in "plain English." It also does fuzzy matching on addresses, which can be important in processing unsubscribe requests and bounces. You will probably find that you either love SmartList, or you hate it. Try it. Features for administratorsAdministration of SmartList lists is easiest for users who have accounts on the server system. Limited administration can also be done by mail; however, commands are sent in the message header, instead of the body, which limits the MUA's a remote administrator can use (most PC packages are right out). SmartList offers the sysop these advantages: it imposes a low load on your system yet offers high performance in delivery, thus it is suited to run fairly large lists; it handles bounced mail better than any other package; and it probably already runs on your Unix system. One disadvantage, for some sites, is that users don't get a unified view of the lists on your server: each "-request" address stands alone. ListServ URL: http://www.eshare.com/products/forums77.htmlLISTSERV® provides a number of advanced functions to list moderators and list subscribers. These include:
Conclusion Well, what can be drawn from all this above info - all the specifications look pretty strong on paper but…. In addition to the various sales/feature blurbs that these above discussion and mailing packages have, I have tried to find out what they are like to create and use IN PRACTICE! Some of the programs like iChat-Message Boards look wonderful in terms of features but when you get down to the nitty gritty - customisation is laborious and user presentation confusing. So, in conclusion….
|
| Suits | Ponytails | Propheads | Contact WDJ | Discuss | Web Audio | Search |
