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Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists
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Matt Dralle
Site Admin
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 25935
Location: Livermore CA USA
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 Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:38 pm Post subject: Running The Lists, Local vs. Free/Remote... |
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Hi Mel,
Thank you for the thoughtful comments. Realize that I've been running the Matronics Lists for roughly 23 years now and started having fund raisers about 15 years ago as a means of offsetting the cost of operations. Prior to that, I simply ran them at my own expense. The number of members making a contribution is usually around 5-10% of the total subscription base, which has generally covered my expenses pretty well. Throughout the fund raiser I monitor the contributions and send out messages to spur contributions as necessary. Its a system that works well and everybody's happy. Nobody has ever been forced to make a contribution. It is a completely voluntary aspect of participation in the Lists and Forums.
As far as the technology behind the curtain, I have been approached many times over the years to "move the operation". But frankly there is no real need for that. Additionally, the insecurity of moving credit card information and list processing to some "free" service is not worth the risk. Note that I also process all of my Matronics and Kitlog sales through the same local systems. Many times you used the word "free" in referencing these other Internet systems. Nope. Nothings free. Restrictions apply. Advertisements abound. Lack of privacy and operational and configurational freedom are major issues. I have been in IT for 29 years and understand the operational aspects of these kind of operations pretty well.
Over the years I have added additional functionality to the Lists services. It originally started out as just a plain email list using dialup. Yeah, the lists go back that far. Later, when the Internet and web came around, I added a lot of web search and browse functionality. Later, I added the Web Forums interface. There are literally 23 years of logs for every email discussion ever made on the Matronics Lists. How many "commercial" forums can make that claim?
The Matronics Lists and Forums softwares are showing their age, yes. But, they also serve a special purpose in that they render both a Majordomo-style email experience that many people still prefer including myself, as well as the Web Forum interface that has become popular. The two formats are tightly integrated and share a common content base. Finding a suitable replacement for that functionality isn't as easy as it would seem, and integrating all of the 23 years worth of logs into it even more difficult.
I have a LOT of email users on the Matronics system. I also have a lot of Web Forum users. Both groups like their respective interface. Anything new has to please both of these groups. Unlike Microsoft, who simply shoves a completely new user interface down their customers throat every few years, I appreciate consistency of functionality and operation and so do most of my subscribers.
I take running these Lists *very* seriously and that means providing an exceptionably stable, reliable, consistence experience. This cannot be accomplished short, medium, or long term by randomly moving the operation to the latest "free" service on the Internet provider de jour. My operation in its entirety gives me the flexibility, performance, reliability, and security that I demand. I am always looking at new ways of bringing the Email and Forum integration together even tighter and infusing those functions with the latest technologies. But it has to be the *right* answer, not just the "cool" or "free" answer.
Again, thank you for your feedback. I always appreciate a fresh viewpoint and its nice to know that members care enough to suggest alternate options and approaches to accomplishing the task at hand. In fact, that it the whole point of the Lists.
Best regards,
Matt Dralle
Matronics Email List Administrator
Matt G Dralle | Matronics | 581 Jeannie Way | Livermore | CA | 94550
925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle(at)matronics.com Email
http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft
| | - The Matronics TeamGrumman-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?TeamGrumman-List |
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Matt Dralle
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mel(at)becknet.com
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject: Running The Lists, Local vs. Free/Remote... |
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On Nov 27, 2012, at 1:38 PM, Matt Dralle wrote:
| Quote: |
Hi Mel,
Thank you for the thoughtful comments. Realize that I've been running the Matronics Lists for roughly 23 years now and started having fund raisers about 15 years ago as a means of offsetting the cost of operations. Prior to that, I simply ran them at my own expense. The number of members making a contribution is usually around 5-10% of the total subscription base, which has generally covered my expenses pretty well. Throughout the fund raiser I monitor the contributions and send out messages to spur contributions as necessary. Its a system that works well and everybody's happy. Nobody has ever been forced to make a contribution. It is a completely voluntary aspect of participation in the Lists and Forums.
As far as the technology behind the curtain, I have been approached many times over the years to "move the operation". But frankly there is no real need for that. Additionally, the insecurity of moving credit card information and list processing to some "free" service is not worth the risk. Note that I also process all of my Matronics and Kitlog sales through the same local systems. Many times you used the word "free" in referencing these other Internet systems. Nope. Nothings free. Restrictions apply. Advertisements abound. Lack of privacy and operational and configurational freedom are major issues. I have been in IT for 29 years and understand the operational aspects of these kind of operations pretty well.
Over the years I have added additional functionality to the Lists services. It originally started out as just a plain email list using dialup. Yeah, the lists go back that far. Later, when the Internet and web came around, I added a lot of web search and browse functionality. Later, I added the Web Forums interface. There are literally 23 years of logs for every email discussion ever made on the Matronics Lists. How many "commercial" forums can make that claim?
The Matronics Lists and Forums softwares are showing their age, yes. But, they also serve a special purpose in that they render both a Majordomo-style email experience that many people still prefer including myself, as well as the Web Forum interface that has become popular. The two formats are tightly integrated and share a common content base. Finding a suitable replacement for that functionality isn't as easy as it would seem, and integrating all of the 23 years worth of logs into it even more difficult.
I have a LOT of email users on the Matronics system. I also have a lot of Web Forum users. Both groups like their respective interface. Anything new has to please both of these groups. Unlike Microsoft, who simply shoves a completely new user interface down their customers throat every few years, I appreciate consistency of functionality and operation and so do most of my subscribers.
I take running these Lists *very* seriously and that means providing an exceptionably stable, reliable, consistence experience. This cannot be accomplished short, medium, or long term by randomly moving the operation to the latest "free" service on the Internet provider de jour. My operation in its entirety gives me the flexibility, performance, reliability, and security that I demand. I am always looking at new ways of bringing the Email and Forum integration together even tighter and infusing those functions with the latest technologies. But it has to be the *right* answer, not just the "cool" or "free" answer.
Again, thank you for your feedback. I always appreciate a fresh viewpoint and its nice to know that members care enough to suggest alternate options and approaches to accomplishing the task at hand. In fact, that it the whole point of the Lists.
Best regards,
Matt Dralle
Matronics Email List Administrator
Matt G Dralle | Matronics | 581 Jeannie Way | Livermore | CA | 94550
925-606-1001 V | 925-606-6281 F | dralle(at)matronics.com Email
http://www.matronics.com/ WWW | Featuring Products For Aircraft
|
| | - The Matronics TeamGrumman-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?TeamGrumman-List |
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