I am starting a new blog and hope to be able to link it to my main one.
What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
When you join an email lists, you are one of many and your message goes to everyone on that list. There could be 10,000's participating. It's easy to lose the thread of the main subject. Sometime it feels as if you are talking to yourself. It likes any new bit of software, once you get used to it, it's not so bad.
Where as the discussion board is more structured and controlled. There are many groups and specific subjects. It too can get very messy though. There can be so many topics, subjects and the subject matter is not always clear. Users in both cases have to be taught to follow some basic rules and guidelines prior to contributing to either.
Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
The email list, is more open and public. I don't think there is much difference with either. If there are rules and guidelines put in place and communicated to the subscribers, either one could be used for similar purposes. The discussion board can perhaps be more structured and managed as per the discussion board used in the NET11 unit. I cannot imagine using a list or lists as a substitute. The discussion board is divided into different sections and specific subjects. But as with the lists, if the discussion board is not used properly, it too can get very messy after a very short time, as we have experienced in the discussion board of this unit. There should be much thought put into the meta-data, (subject) field. It should be obvious and link to what the content is all about. This would save everyone involved, a lot of time and worry. I don't like using the email lists, perhaps it's because that I am not familiar with it, and I find it not as conveying specific messages, as it is on the discussion board.
Conclusion
The list has not contributed anything in helping me with the unit. It is just an exercise that I had to do. I have done it, I know it exists and will probably never use it again. After a week, I have 53 emails in my inbox and ended up deleting the lot, as none were really helpful.
After having being away for a week, with no internet communication, and accessing the email list when I got back, I find it very confusing and messy. Whereas the discussion board, although it contained so many posts, I managed to access the different topics/subjects that I required, and found it quite helpful. It seems that we have had the freedom to add to the DB in this unit as we thought fit, (initially). Perhaps it was a way of letting us find out how messy it could get in a very short time. I wonder if it would have made any difference, if we had read the Introduction in Module 2.1 before being able to post anything onto the DB. Although it about how we communicate using emails, the same rules would apply to the DB.
Chat
I managed to download ICQ and used it successfully. I was a bit concerned posting again, my personal details on the internet. I have so many accounts by now, I need a database to keep track of names, nicknames, passwords, answers to questions.. eg: pets name, that I have used.
I added all the ICQ contact nos. I could find on the DB, about 14 of them. I managed to discuss a few things with Fady and Michelle who were online at the time.
I was quite easy to use and I would like to explore it further. Perhaps set up a group for NET11 2009, that is if someone else does not beat me to it.
I think that ICQ is a good communication tool to use but when chatting to many it get a little out of control. There were 3 of us and even then that got a little messy.
I did enjoy chatting to some of my fellow students... as if belonging to a private club.
The feedback from the others was that Fady preferred IRC to ICQ... I don't remember why and I cannot find the history in ICQ for the time being.
I prefer using skype for the only reason that I use it all the time, and got used to it. I use it for my work and to contact friends. I call & chat to people from all over the world, and it is always reliable. I have tried MSN live and find this not as good. The connection is often broken after only a few minutes.
The following is a screen dump of some of the stuff we discussed.
497-680-589 (5:17 PM): hey 585-583-538 (5:17 PM): hey hey 497-680-589 (5:18 PM): Hi Zette 497-680-589 (5:18 PM): ok lets knock this one on the head 585-583-538 (5:18 PM): i agree.. hi zette ! 497-680-589 (5:18 PM): So which out of the chat options did you like the most? 585-583-538 (5:19 PM): ICQ is cool.. though IRC isn't without its charm 585-583-538 (5:19 PM): what bout you? 497-680-589 (5:19 PM): For me personally I like Msn, I like that I have control over who I speak to and who I don't and while its similar to icq because I use hotmail a lot its easier for me Zette (5:20 PM): I am here Zette (5:20 PM): Hi 497-680-589 (5:20 PM): I like irq but I find I get spammed more 585-583-538 (5:20 PM): excellent Zette (5:20 PM): who i am talking to 585-583-538 (5:20 PM): fady and mich 497-680-589 (5:20 PM): I am Michelle Robson from NEt11 497-680-589 (5:20 PM): And Fady is Fady 497-680-589 (5:20 PM): lol 585-583-538 (5:20 PM): from net11 585-583-538 (5:20 PM): 497-680-589 (5:21 PM): Zette (5:21 PM): Hi Great,, just got home. What exactly are we trying to do? 497-680-589 (5:21 PM): Finnish off Module two Zette (5:21 PM): 497-680-589 (5:21 PM): the group task 585-583-538 (5:21 PM): we are chatting together as a group, to fulfill the group chat task Zette (5:21 PM): Ok ... How do we prove that? 585-583-538 (5:21 PM): well.... 497-680-589 (5:21 PM): Blogg referencing 585-583-538 (5:21 PM): screenshot! 497-680-589 (5:22 PM): put it on ye blog 585-583-538 (5:22 PM): yes Zette (5:22 PM):
I also chatted to blue banana later that night. I am trying to retrieve the history to add to this chat task, but cannot find it, although I opted to save it. I am sure it there but prefer not to waste any more time.
I have left a few messages on the DB for anyone who would want to chat. I have my ICQ, Messenger and Skype up & running.
I created perhaps too late, a NET11 - 2009 group in ICQ. It was very easy, but I could not find a way to automatically transfer my existing contacts to the group. Doing it one by one is a very manual way of doing it.
There are so many ways of staying in touch nowadays but do we stay in touch?
The older generation struggles with the internet use, some who have worked in a computer environment embrace it. For the new generation, the internet seems to be the only way to communicate. How can I (being of an older group) possibly keep up with the following:
Blogger
Skype
Messenger
ICQ
My work emails
Hotmail
MSN live
Yahoo mail
Curtin student email
Email lists
Gmail
Mobile phone
SMS
Home phone
... all of this is taking control of my life. Soon, very soon I will have to take control ... if I did not it will control me. !!!!!!!!!!! I am sure there is more I could add to the list Huuuuuuuu!!!!!
Yes, what about all the different names, passwords I use. I am running out of pet names. I have passwords and login name for banks accounts, credit cards (4), Tickertek, Woolworths, Geni (family tree online), Everyday rewards, webjet, go to meeting, Mycareer to name just a few.
My problem is I use my second name and sign using my first name...... this is my first problem. Mine may be a bit more complicated than most but I think most of us have the similar problems.
I pay my bills online... businesses want my money yet they make it so hard for me to pay them. The system crashes, there is a dead line if you don't pay by a certain date (because you cannot log in, and have no one to speak to you), they threatened to charge you more. I am trying to
pay them!!!!!!!!!! Their systems sucks... can I say this.
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