Module 2 Newsgroups, Lists, Discussion boards

Not sure if I am thinking to hard about all these but I seem to be getting myself in a tangle: I will attempt to arrange my thinking with he help of definitions from, How Stuff works.

Discussion Boards:
(from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/newsgroup1.htm)
Forums and discussion boards are very similar to newsgroups, with one major difference: Most forums and discussions boards are kept on a single server maintained by the owner or originator of the forum or discussion board.

Newsgroup:
(http://computer.howstuffworks.com/newsgroup.htm).
A continuous public discussion about a particular topic. Newsgroups are decentralized, which means that the messages are not maintained on a single server, but are replicated to hundreds of servers around the world.

Listserv:
(http://computer.howstuffworks.com/newsgroup.htm).
This is a type of broadcast e-mail. Information on a listserv is sent to everyone who is listed in the e-mail group on the server. The biggest difference between a listserv and a newsgroup is that listservs are not interactive.

---Note: although the above definination states that a Listserv is not interactive, their is such a thing as a list that is interactive.

OK - I think i am getting it....

Thanks to Niina on the WebCT discussion boards Message no. 846, I was able to get a starting point to find some newsgroups on Google to get into. I was interested to read the above definition of newsgroups because, as a first time newsgroup user I found a them similar to discussion boards.

As pointed out by Gregory Williams on the webCt discussion boards (messge 712), forums allow for a number of related topics to be covered in the one board. A newsgroup is so defined that users discuss just that topic. If you go off topic you would be better joining a different group. ie I went into alt.sports.hockey.calgaryflames, to talk about my favourite Ice Hockey team. If I wanted to start discussing the edmonton oilers (as if I would!) and their line up for the season, I would be better to go to alt.sports.hockey.nhl.edm-oilers

My experience with the Google Groups made newsgroups seem like an eBay for conversation, a seemingly endless list of conversation topics (including a fair bit of crap!). Within a few clicks I was reading discussions on Ice hockey, then gardening, water conservation and pregnancy. I didn't post any conversation to any of the newsgroups as the warning about my address being available to the masses scared me off (along with Keith's post on the webCT forums "stay right away") I noticed most posters had a disguised email address. As I had innocently registered using my Curtin email address I did not want to risk being open to anything untoward. However I did opt to have updated discussions sent to me and the very next day I receive an update of the new posts and could respond to the posters or click and be taken to the website based discussions.

• Pros and Cons of Discussion Board v lists
  

Discussion Boards
Pro: allows interactive flow of communication on a particular topic
Cons : (or pro -depending on perspective): what you put in you get out. Discussion boards work best for the user when they are a contributor.

Email lists
Pro: user does not need to contribute, delivered to your inbox, no need to go to a website to get the info, provides information about a topic without the user having to do anything - except register to receive it and read it!
Cons: Mail lists are not interactive, easily deleted. Not all lists are what they seem - you sign up expecting monthly emails about X and you get weekly blasts full of ads.

• Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?

Definately, as well they can work in conjunction . I think discussion boards are best for one to many opinions, questions and as the name imlies "discussion", however lists to be used to broadcast specific information:
ie I would go onto a discussion board to talk about movies, share my opinions and thoughts and read feedback and reviews from others, However I would also be included on the listserv that sends me monthly details about upcoming movies and new releases.

Module 2 - Email tasks

1. What information about a user's email, the origin of a message, and the parth it took, can you glean from an email message?

• You can determine if they are using a business email address or a free web based account ie kerribennett@companyname.com.au or kerribennett@hotmail.com
• The name of the company they work for.
• The structure the company users for email addresses. ie firstname.lastname@companyname.com.au (I have in the past guessed someones email address when I remembered their name - but lost their biz card containing their email address. Using their company website to determine the email structure, i could determine the person email address. (it worked!)
• reading the quote text in the message content, you can find what email address started the correspondance, who it has been send to (unless bcc) along the way and who else has also received the communication.

2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the cc: bcc: and reply all functions of an email?

• cc: (carbon copy) ie email is received stating an spelling error on one of our websites, I respond thanking them for altering it to us and it has been rectified. In the reply I cc the publisher so they know it has been discovered and corrected.
• bcc: (blind carbon copy) ie We decide to run a special offer to all our customers, we have permission to email them and choose to do a bulk email altering them to the special offer. As to protect their details the bcc field is used.
• reply all: ie An email outlining a meeting time, day and place is sent to me and 5 other people, I have been asked to coordinate where we can go for lunch - I reply all, to inform weveryone that we will Lunch at "The Tavern" a short walk from our meeting place and has an extensive meun that caters for all meal requirments.

3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachement you send will be eaily opened by the receiver?

• Discuss with them asking what versions of a program they are using
• Note in the text of the email that it is best viewed using............
• Save the file as .rtf and send
• avoid the use of non standard fonts
• PDF the document (including a link to Abobe for download of the application in case they do not have it installed
• Also place a copy on a shared drive and inform them of that within the email body copy
• Highlight within the text of the email the important parts of what is contained in the attachement
• Message the email text to say contact me on XXXXXXXX if their is any problem viewing this attachement.

4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?

Firstly, I don't actually have a lot of rules around my incoming mail, firstly because I am a slight control freak and like to decide where the relevant correspondance will be placed. Secondly, I have not taken the time to set them up and thirdly (rightly or wrongly), I am currently able to manage my email without using to many.

Two email address feed into my work outlook client, for that I have create this rule:

• messages received to webmaster@company.com.au go into a Webmaster correspondance folder so that they are not mixed with my regular business emails.
• containing the work enewsletter or newsletter automatically send to "to read" folder.

How have you organised the folder stucture of you email and why?

• By project ie XYZ Guide with multiple subfolders ie XYZ 2007 meeting schedule.
• "A AA To read" (aaa so it is ordered at the top of the folders list) enewsletter rule sends these here as I like to read the enewsletters when I have time and if they remain in my inbox I would delete them. The A to read folder - always has mail waiting to be opened,
• I also often recieve correspondance from our CEO and MD, as communication to and from them is a priority, they have their own special folder! :)

Messages with meeting time or important dates are moved manually into my calender so that I get remindered about them one day prior.

Often I change the subject line from mail received. When a message is sent to me with an unhelpful an subject line, i change it and then save it. It then makes it easier to recall what the message was about or what I need to do with it.

Module 2 - ICQ

Many (many) years ago a friend introduced me to ICQ, I used it for a few months but got sick of random strangers and was bored with it. Until this unit I had not thought about ICQ at all. So to complete the tasks and reconnect with ICQ, downloaded and refamiliarized myself with it.

Now that the task is over, I will be removing it from my computer and never going back to it again. I can understand part of what Keith Law (WebCT Netstudies discussion board Message no. 777) is saying. I entered the Forum for Travel, all I found was endless messages of how I could get my hands on some cheap viagra! - Sorry my time is a bit more valueable that reading spam.

As per the module, I attempted to add contacts to my ICQ (including "Netstudies" - until I read on the WebCT discussion board that ICQ Netstudies is not available!) and was struck with problems, rather than just add them as I would expect it to do, it requested me to download cmd.php, which I did but once downloaded it errored upon opening.

To attempt to solve this I wandered to the ICQ help area - however the instructions provided did not match the way my browser displayed (maybe its an IE7 thing?). I guess I could have persisted to solve these issues however I didn't feel the invested time would provide me with any greater clarity or better impression of ICQ.
I don't currently use any instant messaging myself, however I have seen how it can work as an efficient and effective communication tool. Some of my work collegues constantly engage in dialogue with our Sydney office. Using MSN chat for some instances saves using the phone or drafting an email. They can't imagine conducting their daily work without it.

From a personal perspective I also see advantages: A friend who's family is all living in India finds it a modern way to have her family "around" and being able to share little isntances with them, things that she would not bother putting in an email or picking up the phone to discuss. (what's better, she can simply log off, when she has had enough of them!)