Before this gets out of hand – this is a totally open
list and anyone can join, just like it’s US equivalent. The list owners
happen to be RMS people but it’s not an RMS list. Lots of vendors
and people who would not describe themselves as records managers subscribe and
contribute, though there are rules about overt commercial activity. There
are a couple of closed specialist group lists. Archives-NRA is also an
open list.
Closed discussion forums (fora?) just lead to closed
discussions and the blind lead the blind. If you’re not interested in a
topic then the delete key works wonders but most of the best discoveries come
from good old serendipity.
I confess I find the ‘me toos’ infuriating,
particularly when David Bridge had already invited people to communicate with
him directly about a possible Sharepoint group.
Incidentally Microsoft’s marketing guys must be absolutely
delighted at the thought of groups like this. I know little about the
current product. However, in classic MS fashion they appear to have a
product which, according to people whose opinion I value, doesn’t do exactly
what you want it do but does lots of other things for which it’s
difficult to find an immediate use. IT people buy it because, as in the
old IBM days, no-one gets fired for buying Microsoft and then loads of other
people get together to find work rounds for functionality that MS sort of
includes, at least by name - but not quite.
Thank goodness I don’t have to be concerned about it
anymore.