Module 2 - Lists vs Discussion Boards

Lists

Email lists automatically send mail to people who have requested to receive messages from a particular group and in return can send emails to the group.

I joined a list in Yahoo for Webmasters which sent me an email daily which included a message each day. Unfortunately that message was the same each day and was spam “earn $20, $50, even $100 per hour working from their home”. Not quite what I was expecting as the list mentioned there was new activity daily.

I also joined Topica to a list named Linky & Dinky (reviews of useful – and bizarre – web sites). I’ll add to this post when I start receiving emails from this list. Well, I have started to receive emails from this list and at first they went to my spam folder so I wasn't aware I was receiving them. They are mainly spam and I have since unsubscribed from this list.

And, I also joined Freecycle which is another I have yet to receive any emails from. I have also started receiving emails from Freecycle which I find useful. They list different items for free in a particular are, although they can quickly fill up your inbox if not kept up to date.

Discussion Boards

Discussion boards are a community of likeminded people who post topics for discussion and people can comment on each others messages.

What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards? (Allen, M., n.d.)

I contribute to discussion boards regularly. Mainly through my work if I am using software I am unfamiliar with or am trying something new, I will search for relevant discussion boards and post questions. Usually, I receive a reply, sometimes within a day, other times it may take a week. If you need an immediate response, then a discussion board can be limiting however I find there is a sense of community and others who are more informed are more than willing to help.

Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other? (Allen, M., n.d.)

Depending on what you want to receive or whether you want to be more active in your posting, both forms can be of use. The lists seem to be a bit outdated and has been superceded. Discussion boards are more active and have more of a community feel about them.

References:
Allen, M.. (n.d.). "Module 2 Communicating in the Infosphere". Retrieved June 30, 2009 from
http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_18825_1&content_id=_985241_1