Hi, just reading by :-) >> The point is that a forum is not something you join for a one time >> question. Nor is a mailing list. >> >> A forum, as well as a mailing list, is something you join to >> participate in discussions. > > Whilst in theory that is true, in practise (certainly for me) it is not. A > forum is something I will use to ask a question if I can't find the > information > somewhere else and there isn't the option to join a mailing list to ask.
This is exactly the way I'm using forums, too. A mailing list takes some time to "build up" in my mailing program, i. e. it takes some time to read the posts and follow some discussions before you can say how the folks are thinking there and what is their special way of "netiquette". In a forum I can browse through the recent 20 posts and see if it makes sense to ask something or if there are mostly people who just ask to have a good time. > >> Say that you instead had asked that question on a mailing list. For >> how long would you have continued to receive mails from that list? > > Likely months or even years. I can back that up by the fact that I have just > had a purge of mailing lists and removed some that where I no longer have an > interest in the software they support. A couple of these at least I have not > used for some years - although I have chipped in with a comment once or twice. I have only a few mailing lists, but those I browse through on a nearly daily basis. I have also long-time accounts on some forums, but I use them only when I have to clarify some question I get not answered in one of the mailing lists. When I am in the office, my mailing client is on anyway and receives all the new posts in the mailing lists. When I want to use a forum, I have to have a tab open with the thread and click by from time to time to see if there's an answer. Yes, there is a mail announcement, but those tend to come very late (mostly only the next day), and then I might no longer be interested in the answers. Regards Rolf
