Here's a business idea

For any budding programmers out there...

[Receptional]

I have a discussion board for our village. We used to use MSN groups, but it was a pain to join. On the plus side, it emailed discussions. We now use Yahoo groups, which is OK, but still a pain to join. Of course I should put up my own bulletin board, but what I REALLY want is for messages to get banded around by email, rather than online.

Then I had this idea... because the group is small and we all know each other, basically we all want to be able to email the same mailing list. Easy - just let people know where to send their emails so they CC to the group with an unsubscribe option. THEN I thought, what if an email address automatically published the text into a blog, thus keeping a thread of messages at the same time.

Or does someone do this? I saw one that put emails into web pages (clever alternative to ftp) but not one that would add to a thread.

Dixon.

[Mark_A]

I would just make sure that everyone was aware that this was ocurring when they sent an email ... email is not normally expected to be more than a point to point messaging system even if a "one to many" method.

Some may not wish their texts to be published for all time in the blog.

[claus]

I recently ..well, nevermind, but i'm sure the group emails in Y! Groups get included in the group forum, isn't this so?

Yhoo doesn't do threads i recall, but the messages should be there.

Otherwise there´s a few email-list tools out there already doing this (not bloggin, webpages), they're all over the Google serps when you search for technical terms.

/claus

[MonkeeSage]

Yahoo! Groups do email and webpages, but they don't format it like a blog or anything, it's just the body of the email in monospace font w/ a thread display.

Jordan

[Receptional]

Do yahoo do that by allowing you to SEND an email? or do you need to log in?

It is the logging in bit that my villagers are amzingly bad at. They have just about learnt how to send an email, but getting a Yahho ID is just too much hassle for them.

Sad but true.

Dixon.

[claus]

Yes the group has an email address, you just have to send to that address, and then it gets recorded. The address forwards to members, so they´ll have to be members of the group first. I don't know if you can become a member by answering an email without logging in at all, but email list software do that.

/claus

[Receptional]

Sorted.

That'll do it. But it seems people still need to register, which I guess makes. It is getting them to register with Yahoo that is grievious.

Thanks anyway guys. Not too big a possibility for making money then :) - except to get rid of incessant adverts.

[Craig_F]

do a search for quicktopic. it's pretty slick, VERY easy to join, and you can have running discussions by email that also get posted online similar to a blog.