MODULE 2 - Lists

What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?

PROS Email Lists

• Almost automatically distrubuted
• Almost a guarantee that people have seen the message
• Privacy
• Manage membership
• Don't need to be online to view information as it is stored in your email

PROS Discussion Board

• Public or private
• Organised well, easy to find information later on
• Easy to access information anytime
• You dont need to subscribe
• Build relationships with others on board

CONS Email Lists

• Need to subscribe, so your information is given out
• Need to organise the email yourself to keep information in order
• Can be overwhelming with continuous information
• Private information can leek out to other people - Spam
• Information which you are not interested in is also sent out

CONS Discussion Board

• Need to be online to view information
• Not everyone may see the post - only people who are interested
• Needs to be searched, not automatically sent to you (unless if you subscribe to that particular thread)
• A large amount of information can be posted so it can be overwhelming
• It is a self search program so you are not completely certain that the information is received
  

I believe that if you would like to advertise or sell something, whether it be products or information, email list is more appropriate as you are certain that the information has been sent. Whether the subscriber has read it or not, there is more chance that the information will be read.

If you are seeking help, or would like to discuss an issue, it is more appropriate to use a discussion board, as this is a place where you can post questions and people who are able to help can help. This is also a good place to have discussion with other people as it it keeps the flow of the conversion so people can stay informed or new comers can join easily with all the previous information.