!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> Streamline Training & Documentation: Web 2.0: Tools for Conversation

Monday, July 10, 2006

Web 2.0: Tools for Conversation

Our local paper, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, had a sidebar today by Mary Carey addressing the question of when to use a listserv to communicate about a particular subject with others who share your interest, and when to use a blog.

Carey discussed the question with Stephanie O'Keefe, a member of the Amherst MA town meeting. O'Keefe's blog has a post in which she explains her take on the differences between these two tools:
Consider the e-mail listservs. They spread info also, but have several drawbacks – A) They are not open to the public, so the people we were elected to represent aren’t aware of the info and discussion occurring there and have no ability to weigh-in. B) They are kind of clunky – following discussion threads can be a mess. C) Some people complain about all the e-mails clogging up their inboxes. D) Unless one vigilantly saves and categorizes the mail by topic, it is difficult to find the info you want later. As an example, there is an interesting discussion going on on the Yahoo list now about genetically engineered foods, which may well be a T[own]M[eeting] topic again in the future. If the folks on both sides of that issue had blogs where they explained their views and posted links to relevant articles and web sites, they would be creating valuable information resources available to all TM members and the public, and they would be accessible when we want or need them. Very valuable. And there are plenty of folks on committees and boards who could make important info available in a similarly accessible manner.
I would just add that my experience with moderating an online forum has convinced me that any forum or blog that allows comments, needs to have those comments moderated. Otherwise, the occasional, or not so occasional, troll can make visiting the site an uncomfortable experience for the people whose sense of community you're trying to facilitate.

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