in response to al henning's note:
 this
>whole discussion of bull.board vs. lister seems to be boiling down to a
simple question of who does the filtering where. my email app is as useless
as Al's. I am currently headed from a PC
>version of Eudora to an "air" application for handling my email which will
>also run in a windows environment.

>perhaps users  could suggest software which is appropriate. will the
>AIR version of email work like Al's NETSCAPE ? I would like to have a tool
>that organizes the info the way I like it (the way Al describes netscape).
perhaps this would be a good
>solution for those of us who agree in principle with Greg, but don't want
>the info filtered for us. Such software at the ISI end is what people seem
to be suggesting as one alternative. Many of the other users are suggesting
we do it at our end.
I would appreciate any suggestions regarding
>software at my end which can "organize" this stuff. send it to me directly
>if the MEMS community is not interested or lable the subject line clearly so
>we can all do the "d".
>
>thanks for the positive input Greg, I think we never get anywhere if we
>don't step in "doo-doo" or open cans of worms.
>


>following the threads of, in particular, Linton Salmon's response to Joseph
>Kung's suggestion re:  use of HyperNews to view the discussions of this group:
>
>What we have now seems not a bulletin board, but a listserv:  everyone on the
>list receives the complete message, individually.

>A true newsgroup bulletin board viewer/browser (such as what Netscape provides
>for viewing/browsing the contents of discussions on UseNet newsgroups) is the
>goal we should try to reach.  I say this, not because of any personal affinity
>for the Web, but simply because I *like* the way Netscape organizes and
>presents the information:  commentaries with common threads are grouped, for
>instance, which would make following any particularly thread, and contributing
>to it, very easy.

>[Playing devil's advocate a moment:  grouping formation by thread removes a
>certain element of serendipity alluded to by other commenters.]

>My email app does not allow such grouping and organization.  (Yes, I could move
>from Mac to Unix and use Elm, I suppose.)  In its absence, I'm content with the
>present system of info distribution via [email protected]; but perhaps a more
>fruitful discussion here would be to answer the question, What organization and
>presentation of information would best serve the needs of this group in the
>long run?

>Al Henning
>Associate Professor
>Thayer School of Engineer
>Dartmouth College
>[email protected]
>
>

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