[Foundation-l] Use of moderation

[Henning Schlottmann]

Tim Starling wrote:

> I think we should stop using this outdated technology altogether and
> instead switch to a web-based forum, where comments can be
> postmoderated (i.e. removed after posting), and unproductive threads
> can be moved or locked.

Web boards are crap, partly precisely for the reasons you claim as
advantage here. Biggest flaw: They use pull protocols, you have to
actively go there to look. Further: Access to web boards is proprietary.
Each board has different address, format, GUI, options.

Mailing lists are push media and they are one stop: the new posts come
to my own mail folders automatically. Their look and feel is always the
same: that of my mail program (or web mail operator). Browsing through
"your" web boards in the morning takes much, much more time than with
appropriately processes mailing lists.

Moderation and s/n ration: If you read mailing lists as (pseudo)
newsgroups, which is of course the recommended way of access, every
reader has the most comfortable options for filtering and scoring. Web
boards have central, mailing lists individual moderation. You, the
reader, can filter authors, topics, threads or whatever you want or
don't want to read. That gives you autonomy and responsibility.

The only real advantage of web boards is that they run in a browser and
everyone thinks they can use them. Processing and reading mailing lists
is much more comfortable, but obviously not anyone knows how to do that
anymore.

Ciao Henning