From hammond321@yahoo.com Sun Mar 03 05:35:56 2013
Subject:Re: Where do we go from here? (BBS vs. Yahoo Groups)

I like the BBS idea, mainly because it would give greater leeway as to topics for discussion.

________________________________
From: Bruce Wahler
To: CloneWheel Support Group
Sent: Saturday, March 2, 2013 1:20 PM
Subject: [CWSG] Where do we go from here? (BBS vs. Yahoo Groups)


 
Hi All,

No, the CloneWheel Support Group is not being shut down by Yahoo. As
owner and lead moderator, I would have received a heads-up email from
them first, and I've received nothing. I also did a Google search, and
found no recent news, but the topic has come up in 2010 and 2011 -- both
times, false rumors.

That said, Yahoo *may* pull the plug some day. I've often wondered how
Yahoo's business model for these groups actually works. There's minimal
advertising on the website -- just a couple of strip ads along the
edges; no popups or other 'intrusive' adds -- and no adds in the email,
unless one counts the Yahoo banner at the bottom that's arguably
self-advertising. Running these groups costs money, and I'm
hard-pressed to see where Yahoo gets its payback.

________
Several years ago, I inquired with the group about moving the CW group
to a BBS format -- i.e., the format used by Harmony Central,
ProSoundWeb, AVS Online, etc. There are differences in how things work:

* BBS forums are *online*. Members have the option to 'subscribe'
to threads, but what gets emailed are notifications of new posts.
Reading and replying require logging into the BBS.
* BBS forums allow for dividing the traffic up into smaller
sub-groups, based on topics.
* When one enters a BBS forum, the choice of what to read and reply
is an 'active' task; don't enter a certain sub-group and you may
never even *see* a particular thread.

By contrast, Yahoo Groups are all-or-nothing forums where one either
gets *every* email -- individually or in digests -- or elects to receive
no emails and logs into the Yahoo site to read. Yahoo Groups work well
for 50-250 members who are focused on one task or field; a perfect
example is a class reunion. They are stretched thin when working with
wide topics and 1,000+ members.

As a moderator, I really like the BBS method, because it adds tools that
Yahoo Groups doesn't support:

* It allows sub-groups to handle topics that some members find
interesting, but others do not.
* It allows threads to be locked down, if they become OT or
flame-ridden. Some forums even allow automatic lock-down after a
certain number of days/posts.
* It allows moderators to move topics into another sub-group,
limiting OT nature in areas.
* It makes it easier to split the moderating duties by subject. I
could say, volunteer to moderate the Nord discussions, while
someone else moderates VB3 or Hamm-Suz.

There are some drawbacks:

* For the most part, one must log into a BBS to use it, which
discourages on-the-go smartphone use.
* Generally, BBS forums require a host, someone who either provides
a server as a benevolent gesture, or collects fees from members or
advertisers and uses it to pay for the hosting.
* BBS forums require at least one technical moderator who has the
time to act as the 'IT department' for the forum. (Most of these
tasks are covered by Yahoo.)

At the time, the only feedback I received was against the move, and the
idea never went anywhere. So, I'm going to raise the question again:
How do the members feel about moving the CWSG to a BBS forum? And does
anyone here have experience in running such a forum? Feel free to
contact me offline about it.

--
Regards,

-BW

Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions.com^(TM)
bw@ashbysolutions.com
http://music.ashbysolutions.com
877.55.ASHBY (877.552.7429)

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