future technology for the INDOLOGY list

[Valerie J Roebuck]

I don't object to a bulletin board per se (though I am not sure how often I would log on without the emails to remind me). Whichever system we use, there must be some means of archiving discussions so that we can refer to them again later. With bulletin board-type interfaces, there is a tendency for the same topics to come up for debate time and time again, as previous discussions drop out of sight.

Valerie J Roebuck

On 16 Aug 2012, at 23:27, Lindquist, Steven wrote:

> From my experience, a bulletin board system as an active interface really only makes sense with large communities where subdividing into several sub-communities, FAQs, forums, etc. makes sense because it would otherwise entail far too much email or be too difficult to search.   With smaller groups, a BB can be useful as a passive interface (i.e., as a means of archiving).
> 
> Indology is not large enough to necessitate an active web forum, I don't think (in fact, I imagine the annoyance of logging in, scanning forums, posting between forums, etc. will decrease activity), so if the choice is "one or the other," I would much prefer an email-based system like we use now.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Steven
> 
> STEVEN LINDQUIST, PH.D.
> ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
> DIRECTOR OF ASIAN STUDIES
> _____________
> Department of Religious Studies
> Southern Methodist University
> PO Box 750202 | Dallas | TX | 75275
> http://faculty.smu.edu/slindqui
> 
> 
> 
> On 17/08/2012 02:43, Jan E.M. Houben wrote:
> Dear Dominik,
> This example does not look very convincing / inspiring to me ...
> Jan
> 
> On 7 August 2012 12:09, Dominik Wujastyk <wujastyk at gmail.com<mailto:wujastyk at gmail.com>
> <mailto:wujastyk at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     Here are some examples of what a "bulletin board" looks like.
> 
>       * http://www.phpbb.com/showcase/?sid=bdaba11d6613123df04e088fce4b2cba
> 
>     D
> 
>     On 7 August 2012 11:15, Dominik Wujastyk <wujastyk at gmail.com<mailto:wujastyk at gmail.com>
>     <mailto:wujastyk at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>         At some point in the future, this INDOLOGY list will need an
>         update or overhaul.  Looking around at the software that's
>         available, it looks as if we would have the choice between
>         continuing with an email-based discussion forum very much as we
>         do now, or switching to a "bulletin board" style of system,
>         which would be manipulated through a website.  It would be nice
>         to have both in one package, but so far I haven't found that
>         (except Google groups, which I'd prefer not to use for other
>         reasons).
> 
>         I've put together a simple poll to ask your opinion.  Would you
>         vote here please?
> 
>           * http://votebin.appspot.com/HJTGLCGH
> 
>         If there's an option I haven't thought of, you can add it.
> 
>         Best,
> 
>         Dominik Wujastyk
> 
>         INDOLOGY list manager