Anybody going to miss the Yahoo Groups?

Davepar · #1 01-17-2006, 10:25 AM

The only advantage I've found to the Yahoo Groups is that questions seem to reach a larger audience. I guess it takes less effort to read stuff that shows up in your inbox vs. surfing to a web site and checking for posts. Other than that, the forums are much, much better.

I've found one trick that is pretty cool for tracking the forum activity without going to the web page every hour. You can put a list of the latest forum posts on your web browser home page.

For example, this is what is now displayed on my home page:

1. Go to www.google.com. Click the "Personalized Home" link in the upper right corner. Create a Google account, or sign in if you already have now. Now make this page the home page for your browser (Tools menu, Options).

2. Next, click the "Add Content" link in the upper left corner. In the text box under "Create a Section", enter "http://www.vansairforce.com/community/external.php?type=rss2". This is known as an RSS feed.

You can customize the location on the screen, by dragging it around. You can also customize the number of posts displayed by using the "Edit" link next to VansAirForceForums.

Dave

flymustangs · #2 01-17-2006, 11:06 AM

I was discussing this with Randy Lervold and pointed out the two things I like about the Yahoo groups that the VAF forums don't have are the photo and database sections. The photos are nice for obvious reasons and the database section on the RV-3 Yahoo group has been a big help because RV-3 weights were a big issue in my decision to build.

Are you listening Doug?

Ken

rv6ejguy · #3 01-17-2006, 11:51 AM

The Yahoo and V Bulletin boards are far easier to post and archive photos on, otherwise the search functions here can quickly locate LOTS of info. I like both!

Supereri · #4 01-17-2006, 12:11 PM

You can also use teh RSS feed in Firefox. Go to the bookmark manager and select "new live bookmark". Put in the address that Dave showed "http://www.vansairforce.com/community/external.php?type=rss2", give it a name and your done.

dan · #5 01-17-2006, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flymustangs

I was discussing this with Randy Lervold and pointed out the two things I like about the Yahoo groups that the VAF forums don't have are the photo and database sections. The photos are nice for obvious reasons and the database section on the RV-3 Yahoo group has been a big help because RV-3 weights were a big issue in my decision to build.

Are you listening Doug?

Ken

http://www.rvproject.com/wab/

Feel free to encourage RV-3 group members to enter their data in that W&B database. I don't benefit in any way from it, it's there for YOU.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com

flymustangs · #6 01-17-2006, 12:48 PM

Thanks Dan. I had forgotten about that page on your site. Just need to get some RV-3 guys to enter some data in there now.

Ken

DeltaRomeo · #7 01-17-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan

http://www.rvproject.com/wab/

Feel free to encourage RV-3 group members to enter their data in that W&B database.

Love that Dan!

I'm planning on adding a photo gallery feature to the forums in the 2nd quarter of this year, btw. There is also a 'subscribe to *forum*' feature that might duplicate a lot of the Yahoo email functionality - in a daily digest format. Playing with it now....

Best always,
Doug

godspeed · #8 01-17-2006, 01:23 PM

one thing you may not be aware of , at my Job I can't surf the internet (I know bummer right) but I can check my yahoo mail via my cellphone and read post.. my cellphone won't do html, but its nice keeping in touch with the questions and answers during my 6pm to 6am shifts... infact its the only real fun I have been having lately.. I can also get it to check my other email to pick up the other list stuff.. so don't please don't shut them down yet..

I will get a blackberry soon though and it does html so I will be all set then..

thanks for all you do though.. this project would be impossible without all these list and web pages..
esp www.rvproject.com (thanks Dan)

Danny..

Kevin Horton · #9 01-17-2006, 03:03 PM

I know that Doug has said that he wants to shut down the Yahoo groups he runs, but I know that there are many, many people who find e-mail list much more efficient. I can get through a bunch of messages much more quickly using an e-mail program than I can by using a web based interface. If I am on the road, once I find an internet connection, I can check my mail then disconnect. Then I can sit in the airport, or on the airplane, read e-mail, compose replies, and send them next time I have an internet connection. Try that with a forum.

I know a lot of people like web-based forums. Good for them. Different strokes for different folks. If we all liked the same kind of aircraft we would all by flying Cessnas.

But the current forum implementation doesn't work for me. With e-mail lists, I can check the mail several times a day, and get through the postings in a few minutes. With a web based forum the time delay to go from one page to the next eats up too much time. I can only keep up with a small sub-set of the various forums, and even then only if I have a sustained net connection.

I can understand why Doug might want to not run the various Yahoo Groups. Hopefully he will be willing to pass the keys to the groups to someone else. If not, Cary Rhodes has already volunteered to set up new groups. So the Yahoo Groups aren't going away. The worst case is the existing ones will be replaced by new ones.

Baja_Traveler · #10 01-17-2006, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by godspeed

one thing you may not be aware of , at my Job I can't surf the internet (I know bummer right) but I can check my yahoo mail via my cellphone and read post.. my cellphone won't do html, but its nice keeping in touch with the questions and answers during my 6pm to 6am shifts... infact its the only real fun I have been having lately.. I can also get it to check my other email to pick up the other list stuff.. so don't please don't shut them down yet..

I will get a blackberry soon though and it does html so I will be all set then..

thanks for all you do though.. this project would be impossible without all these list and web pages..
esp www.rvproject.com (thanks Dan)

Danny..

You also might want to check the wireless phone cards for laptops that the cell phone people offer. My boss surfs the internet anywhere a mobile phone signal is. The cost might be equal to a blackberry subscription (assuming you already have a laptop to plug it into)