Module 2 - Lists

Following the link in the tutorial I started trawling the main groups page in yahoo. I joined "peaceable paws" - a dog training group as we recently adopted a puppy. I figure with 2400 members, I could get some good advice. Obviously, this is the advantage over e-mail. I can engage in discussion with a huge number of other people without cluttering up my inbox. I can draw on the collective knowledge of many experienced dog owners - a bit like a virtual dog owners convention which made me think... there is a vast amount of information available ON the internet in the form of articles about dog training but there is probably more information available THROUGH the internet by connecting with people I would otherwise never have met.

I guess this only works if the discussion is relevant and interesting to many.

I also moved across to Yahoo! Answers. Managed to kill an hour reading a lot of useless trivia and a little interesting stuff. Was surprised at the breadth of questions posted and even more surprised at the number of responses. From students (obviously) looking for someone else to answer their English Literature questions to people hunting for some elusive fact.

Whilst there were lists covering every hobby and interest imaginable, it appears that the simple act of searching and answering posts in these lists is a serious hobby of some... even vying for the position of top "answerer". Points are earnt by answering questions which are then rated. Incredible time-waster but strangely addictive! But hey, with over 90 million members, who am I to judge?

anyway posted a question on Peaceable Paws but I will have to wait for the list owner to approve the post.

Advantages of Lists vs Discussion Boards:

• Lists can be more varied/interesting as the audience is more widespread.
• Can gain access to valuable information and expertise
  
• Access is open to anyone who wants to participate
  

Disadavantages :

• Lists can ramble off the topic a bit if posts are not controlled.
  
• Topics and threads are not easy to track over time
  

Discussion boards are more appropriate in the educational field where it is often necessary to track back over past topics and threads to find information. Lists are more useful for freewheeling discussions.