Module 2 - Lists Tasks

I am currently subscribed to only one list: LED Digest

It is a list detailing concerns within the advertising and design industry. I had subscribed to other lists but found the content usually become too long winded and the relevancy to what I was looking for decreased along with my interest. Generally I find that lists are not an time effective way of finding the most accurate information about any given topic and I have found that it is almost always better to bookmark a site of interest and check it regularly when I am interested in finding out about that topic. My online activities just take up too much time as it is to take in the unedited rantings of thousands of list subscribers.

How Newsgroups Work: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/newsgroup1.htm

What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
I have found that both of these formats mean that there are many unrelated messages to the topic under discussion. Advantages of a list is that it is often edited, thus removing some of these messages, and that because the information is on your computer, it is often faster to pass over info that does not interest you. An advantage of a discussion board is that you have chosen to be there at that time so you have more of an idea about what information is relevant at that time and also, a discussion board allows you more control over what 'threads' you chose to read more thoroughly.

Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
Discussion boards are both 'synchronous' and 'asynchronous' - the information is updated and available in real time, but remains visible over a period of time and can be most useful when personal opinion or experience is sought. Factual news reports or news from a reputable organisation work well as a list because they are usually edited so that the information is more reliable. Conversely, they could be edited to reflect the list administrators' point of view. When users contribute to a discussion board (or unedited list) the info tends to become more personal opinion than actual news and from my point of view often has less relevance. If there is a tight knit group involved in a discussion board, it works well because information is relayed in real time and also, the end user may value the direct input of another specific contributor.