On 11/30/24 21:27, Dan via groups.io wrote:
Okay, I really appreciate it Dave. ?So what¡¯s the difference really? Do they kind of function the same, but each message and response puts an email in your email account?
Yes, pretty much. The first thing to remember is that mailing lists have nothing at all to do with the web, web servers, web sites, or web browsers. It's an email address that you send an email to (by whatever means you access your email), and then that email is re-sent automatically to all the people subscribed to (registered to be recipients of) the mailing list.
Groups.io is a commercial vendor of mailing list services. They provide a web interface for list administrators to manage their lists, as well as for people to view archives of past list traffic. In recent years that functionality has been (inadvisably, IMO) extended to include posting messages to the mailing list from the web interface as well.
This has blurred the line between mailing lists and web forums, and has resulted in a whole lot of confusion. The primary usage of this and other "groups" is via email, though some people who want to pretend it's a web forum can do so, and it's mostly good enough for that. (though I myself do not have the patience for it; I'm a very busy person)
Many people feel that web forums are the "new" way and mailing lists are the "old" way, and while mailing lists are much older (dating back to the 1970s) the reality is that both formats are decades old and it really just boils down to personal preference.
-Dave
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Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
Dave McGuire