vBulletin...blog...listserv...bulletin boards

[Cindy Pogrund]

I am trying to determine how to proceed with building an environment for association members to share thoughts. We will probably need both moderated forums and unmoderated. I am trying to understand the differences/benefits/weaknesses between forums, bulletin boards (sometimes the same) and blogs (perhaps even listservs).

Can anybody share their thoughts or point me to any sites that have meaningful articles on the topic?

Thanks.

Cindy

[catocom]

IMO, if you are serious, and plan to have it around for a while,
go with vB.
If you just want something really temporary, go with one of the free forum softwares.

When I see someone running vB, I know they are more serious, and plan to
be around for atleast until the subscription runs out. I have an owned lic.;)

[Wayne Luke]

There are two main differences..

First in forums/bulletin boards, the discussion is open. Anyone can start a discussion and anyone can reply. With Blogs, usually only one person starts the discussion and then people can reply to that opener.

The second is delivery. Listserv usually means email delivery and while they have web based archives, these are usually feature limited and don't allow much interaction. Forums and Blogs are web-based and allow full immersion using the rich technologies available. Email is more universally available than Web access but Web interfaces are more rich.

Bulletin Boards could refer to proprietary software used for both listservs and forums/blogs. In the past these were accessed via dial-up modems and limited in their range. With the Internet and the World Wide Web, they have lost some of their luster and have been relegated to a backseat technology wise. You can usually duplicate their functionality with current Internet based products easily enough.