I’m on a large number of mailing lists that cover a wide range of topics including open source software, web technologies, spam filtering, dns, networking and a range of other topics.
Nearly all of the lists show who the message poster is and allow them to include their own email signature.
Only very rarely does any of the list content get “out of hand”.
Unfortunately not all lists are made equal.
The Enterprise Ireland eBusiness list is not equal by any stretch of the imagination.
Why?
All messages to the list are moderated, so any hopes of a “conversation” or “discussion” are doomed to failure.
If you post a message at 9am in reply to a message that appeared at 8.45 am it may not make it to the list until hours later.
The moderation of the list also includes the headers and all other “normal” content associated with emails.
If the poster has included a signature this “may” be included, but there is no guarantee. (On the plus side the twenty line signatures favoured by some people are banished)
For example, this morning someone posted the following:
Hi
Have any members got any ideas on a practical eBusiness project for an eBusiness course?
Any ideas welcome.
Thanks
So who is asking the question?
How can you respond to them?
“Dear Anonymous”??
On other mailing lists you are “laid bare”.
If your posts are seen to contribute positively then any messages from you will be viewed with a higher level of respect than those from a “newbie”.
That’s how peer networks tend to work.
You become a “trusted” source and your opinion increases in value.
Anonymous lists are a bit like anonymous comments on blogs.
They lend little value to the “web”.
It could be argued that forums lend a degree of anonymity, however they generally encourage the development of an online identity that is as identifiable as a person’s “real” name.
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