Some physics educators might be interested in a recent post "Re: The
weaknesses of email discussion lists" [Hake (2009)]. The abstract
reads:
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ABSTRACT: In response to my previous post "Re: The value of
discussion lists" a subscriber wrote to me privately, complaining
that his discussion list was "dead as a doornail . . . having
everything to do with its being 'open' -- in effect anyone who posts
to the list doesn't really know who is being addressed or who gets
copies of the postings. . .[so that] . . . the issues discussed are
unlikely to be settled on their own merits. . . [but are]. . .
instead subject to unpredictable interventions and manipulations of
every imaginable sort." Here I (a) point to two high-traffic lists,
POD and Phys-L, as counter examples where at least a few of the
issues discussed appear to be settled on their own merits, and (b)
enumerate what I consider to be some weaknesses of email discussion
lists as given in my listing of "Over Two-Hundred Education & Science
Blogs."
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REFERENCES
Hake, R.R. 2009. "Re: The weaknesses of email discussion lists,"
online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://tinyurl.com/yz4ao3x>.
Post of 25 Nov 2009 20:22:25 -0800 to AERA-L, JOURNET, & Net-Gold.