Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] use of a "bulletin board" system in lieu of a mailing-list discussion

[Eric Blossom]

On Thu, Sep 02, 2010 at 01:47:34PM -0400, Dan Harasty wrote:
>  Hello, all.
> 
> OK, I know I'm just the "new guy" here, and it may be poor form to
> suggest that a well established forum should change its ways....

:-)

> But I find the email-based discussion list VERY inefficient.
> - any sense of "threading" of a conversation is lost (at least for
> me: I receive the "digest" version.)
> - if there is a way for me to "search" for my issue in "prior
> threads", I haven't found it yet.  (Maybe I'm missing it.... or
> maybe it doesn't exist)

Google works for me:  

  gnuradio + <whatever I care about>

gets me one of the N mailing list archives, where the messages are threaded.

> - email arrives even on days when I'm not focusing on my GNU radio projects.

Gee, that sounds like your mail handling tools suck.

I'd suggest the non-digest format, and have your MUA automatically
put the messages into a folder that you only look at when you care
about GNU Radio.  I'm assuming that your MUA can sort out the
threading.

> I'm part of other organizations that use a "web bulletin board" very
> effectively.  It addresses all the above issues: threading,
> searching prior discussions, and simply "being there" when one needs
> it.  One such system is vBulletin (http://www.vbulletin.com/).  This
> system is a bit different from a wiki (which has static pages that
> anyone can update).  Rather, someone posts a "post" in a "forum".
> Follow up posts are seen distinctly (you can't edit someone else's
> post), and all such follow ups to an original post are called a
> "thread".
> 
> Is there any interest in considering a shift to it or something similar?

Who knows?  You can of course subscribe an address that gets
gateway'd to where ever you like.

> Yes, it would need: a physical host, effort to set it up, an admin
> (for membership issues), and a panel moderators (to edit / move
> threads when necessary).  And maybe the cost of the software.
> 
> I understand that if there is a lack of interest (to participate),
> or if no one is available to set it up, it won't happen.  If so:
> /c'est la vie/...  However, I just wanted to float the idea in case
> there is general interest and the right set of volunteers.
> 
> -- Dan Harasty

Thanks for the suggestion and the links.

Eric