Wouldn't a forum be a far better idea?

[Richard Gaskin]

miscdas at boxfrog.com wrote:

> I vote with Jerry for a forum. When I first started to go through the
> mailing list archives, it was a real nuisance to not have topics with the
> threads beneath them.

Like this?:
<http://lists.runrev.com/pipermail/use-revolution/2002-October/thread.html#s
tart>

> The mailing list isn't such a good format for newbies, but its limitations
> go almost unnoticed by the regulars. Isn't a large part of the
> Revolution/MetaCard goal to attract and keep newbies? If yes, then more
> emphasis should be placed there.

The mailing-list-vs.-newsgroups/forms/etc. topic was a sizeable thread on
the CHI-Web list last year.  The outcome of the discussion seemed to be that
the ubiquity of mailing lists must be for a reason, that the alternatives
have their own limitations making email only slightly less of several evils.

But I also find them limited (esp. without a search facility for the
archives), and I think you're onto something here:

> I belong to or lurk several MM authoring forums. I've seen several designs
> that are very good. There is no reason why a good one (with good design, UI,
> etc.) couldn't be implemented for the Revolution community. This is,
> afterall the 21st century people...

Adobe's Web forums are also NNTP servers, so one can log in using either a
Web browser or Usenet client as they prefer.  While most folks there seem to
use a browser, I log in with Newswatcher.

It would be cool if interaction with the Rev list could happen in at least
two forms: email and the Web.

Extra bonus points if they do it in a way that makes it easy to access via
HTTP, so one could build a really cool RevList client right into the Rev
environment as a plug-in.  :)

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
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