[LINK] RFI: How should virtual group members interact with one another?

Tue Aug 18 16:53:42 AEST 2020

There's a thing called Discourse. ITPA (ex-SAGE-AU) moved to it from
classic mailing lists a couple of year ago, and it basically killed the
organisation.

So don't do that.

If you feel the need for a forum-style channel, make sure that those
who do not want to interact that way can be emailed postings, can reply
by email, and that the postings follow usual email conventions
regarding quoting, replies etc.

Platforms that track or monetise members probably shouldn't be accepted
- so LinkedIn, Facebook and GoogleAnything are probably out. If you
want to roll your own, MatterMost is a good IM platform. If not rolling
your own, Discord and Slack are both good (Discord has *awesome* sound
management). Free Slack has limited retention.

TBH in this space less is more.

Regards, K.

On Tue, 2020-08-18 at 15:47 +1000, Roger Clarke wrote:
> A virtual organisation (e.g. The Link Institute, or a professional,
> occupational, advocacy or common interest group) needs a channel for
> communications among members.
> 
> In 2020, what would the Link Institute recommend as that channel?
> 
> 
> A quick list of requirements is below (off-the-top-of-the-head).
> 
> Can anyone point to a more careful requirements statement than mine
> is?
> 
> 
> Some categories and names that come to mind are:
> -   Email-Lists
>     -   Listman
> -   Old-Style BBS / Message Boards / Internet/Discussion Fora /
> Groups
>     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_forums
>     -   Yahoo! Groups (now reverted to email-list operations?)
>     -   Google Groups
>     -   Whirlpool
> -   Social Media
>     -   LinkedIn
>     -   Reddit
> -   New-Style
>     -   Slack
> -   Commercial
>     -   Trello
>     -   GroupSpaces
>         http://groupspaces.com/pricing
> 
> Is anyone aware of a feature-comparison of alternative channels, from
> the viewpoint of virtual associations?
> 
> ________
> 
> Quick List of Requirements (off-the-top-of-the-head):
> 
> -   channel membership management, flexible, enabling any of:
>     -   open for any email-address to subscribe to
>     -   limited to email-addresses of people who join the
> organisation
>     -   subject to channel-manager add, amend, suspend, delete, ban
>     -   scope for selective moderation, selected by poster or
> content,
>         including amendment and forwarding
>     -   scope for selective deletion of sub-channels, individual
> posts
> 
> -   sub-channels:
>     -   primary (with channel-subscribers default-subscribed to it)
>     -   secondary sub-channels (requiring opt-in)
>     -   easy spawning of a sub-channel from a thread,
>         duplicating the thread-archive across to the channel-archive
> 
> -   member access options
>     -   postings forwarded to the subscriber's email-address
>     -   digests forwarded to the subscriber's email-address
>     -   web-based interface with login required, and
>         displays by channel, sub-channel and thread
> 
> -   member posting options
>     -   new post on existing thread
>     -   create new thread and post to it
>     -   reply-to poster-only (default)
>     -   reply-all, within thread or sub-channel (needs to be
> selected)
> 
> -   post-content options:
>     -   unformatted text, with links
>     -   lightly formatted text, with links
>     -   image-thumbnail, auto-linked to document / image / sound /
> video
> 
> -   notification settings available with one click (default off) for:
>     -   all posts
>     -   all posts on the main channel
>     -   all posts on a specific sub-channel
>     -   all posts on a nominated thread
>     -   all posts by nominated posters
> 
> -   thread unsubscribe with one click
> 
> -   agnostic to device-type, OS and browser / application,
>     i.e. designed for use on all handhelds, desktops, etc.
> 
> -   archival, with search facility, global, by sub-channel, by
> thread,
>     with unlimited or at least very long retention
> 
> -   minimal lock-in, especially to rapacious 'social media'
> juggernauts
>     Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.
> 
> -   no or minimal rights for a service-provider to access and to use
>     or disclose content of, or metadata relating to, channel traffic
> 
> -   scope for interoperability with other channels (open protocols)
> 
> -   scope for portability of archives to other channels (open
> standards)
> 
> -   integrated access to this and other channels:
>     -   by means of a single application
>     -   by means of a single-service
> 
> ________
> 
> Roger Clarke                            mailto:
> Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
> T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  
> http://www.rogerclarke.com
> 
> Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611
> AUSTRALIA
> 
> Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of
> N.S.W.
> Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National
> University
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

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Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer

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