Airport Support Groups - Group Email?

A year ago I started an airport support group called "Friends of Iowa
City Airport" to help save our threatened airport. It has now grown
to over 170 members, and sending memos, updates and emails to such a
large group has become unwieldy.

For a variety of reasons I would like to stick with a web-based
(rather than Outlook or Outlook Express email) solution. I have looked
at using Yahoo Groups, but have rejected them as being overly
complicated to "join." (Many of our members are getting up there in
years, and even basic email can be a challenge for them, let alone
trying to figure out how to "join" a Yahoo group.)

I am looking for a way to send "group" email updates to large numbers
of members. Unfortunately, my ISP's (Mediacom) group email software
is so laced with anti-Spam measures that it is essentially useless to
me. (The killer: It limits the number in a group to 25 or less, etc.)

What say the group? Anyone got any recommendations? Is there a group
email site on the web that is flexible and powerful enough for what I
need?

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

It's getting harder and harder to do this because of the spam filters. Our
club ISP has a redirector function. You create an address in it and any
message sent to that address is resent to addresses you enter. Each
recipient gets a message addressed to them only without the long list of
email addresses in the To field that triggers a lot of spam filters. It
works great but we are now having increasing instances of an ISP detecting
that the message went through a redirect function and bouncing it back.

I hope someone responds to you with a good idea because I can see the
redirect system becoming unusable in another few months.

--

Roger Long



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
m...
A year ago I started an airport support group called "Friends of Iowa
City Airport" to help save our threatened airport. It has now grown
to over 170 members, and sending memos, updates and emails to such a
large group has become unwieldy.

For a variety of reasons I would like to stick with a web-based
(rather than Outlook or Outlook Express email) solution. I have looked
at using Yahoo Groups, but have rejected them as being overly
complicated to "join." (Many of our members are getting up there in
years, and even basic email can be a challenge for them, let alone
trying to figure out how to "join" a Yahoo group.)

I am looking for a way to send "group" email updates to large numbers
of members. Unfortunately, my ISP's (Mediacom) group email software
is so laced with anti-Spam measures that it is essentially useless to
me. (The killer: It limits the number in a group to 25 or less, etc.)

What say the group? Anyone got any recommendations? Is there a group
email site on the web that is flexible and powerful enough for what I
need?

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Roger Long wrote:

I hope someone responds to you with a good idea because I can see the
redirect system becoming unusable in another few months.


I use Mailman to maintain my Lists with 250+ members.
http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/index.html
But you do need Your own Server on the Net running some UNIX or Linux (like
myself) to use it.
Some ISPs provide mailinglists for their clients. Just ask and/or change
Your ISP.

Maybe there are other Mailing List Software Packs available. Take a look at
http://sourceforge.net/ and search for "mailinglist". But Your provider
should be the way to go if You want a somewhat professional service.

And keep that airfields open....

Hartwig
--

Just remove the cork to Reply by e-Mail.

Jay Honeck wrote:

For a variety of reasons I would like to stick with a web-based
(rather than Outlook or Outlook Express email) solution. I have looked
at using Yahoo Groups, but have rejected them as being overly
complicated to "join." (Many of our members are getting up there in
years, and even basic email can be a challenge for them, let alone
trying to figure out how to "join" a Yahoo group.)

I am looking for a way to send "group" email updates to large numbers
of members. Unfortunately, my ISP's (Mediacom) group email software
is so laced with anti-Spam measures that it is essentially useless to
me. (The killer: It limits the number in a group to 25 or less, etc.)


I don't quite follow what you're trying to do. In the first paragraph, you
speak of using a web-based solution. In the second, you speak of email.

If you're looking for a web-based solution, there are numerous free "message
board" packages floating around. Some of these (depending upon
technological compatibility) could likely be installed onto your ISP's web
site. You're already ahead of the game, in that you have a web site (and
therefore a "web site provider"). In fact, they may have some
recommendation as to a tool they know works well and is suitable for their
servers.

- Andrew

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
m...
A year ago I started an airport support group called "Friends of Iowa
City Airport" to help save our threatened airport. It has now grown
to over 170 members, and sending memos, updates and emails to such a
large group has become unwieldy.

For a variety of reasons I would like to stick with a web-based
(rather than Outlook or Outlook Express email) solution. I have looked
at using Yahoo Groups, but have rejected them as being overly
complicated to "join." (Many of our members are getting up there in
years, and even basic email can be a challenge for them, let alone
trying to figure out how to "join" a Yahoo group.)

I am looking for a way to send "group" email updates to large numbers
of members. Unfortunately, my ISP's (Mediacom) group email software
is so laced with anti-Spam measures that it is essentially useless to
me. (The killer: It limits the number in a group to 25 or less, etc.)

What say the group? Anyone got any recommendations? Is there a group
email site on the web that is flexible and powerful enough for what I
need?



Take a look at http://www.coollist.com . I send out a "newsletter" type
email from time to time, and this works just fine. Just type out your
"email", hit send and everyone in your list gets it. I think that they can
even read it archived online if they wish.


Hopes this helps...

Chuck



---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Take a look at http://www.coollist.com . I send out a "newsletter" type
email from time to time, and this works just fine. Just type out your
"email", hit send and everyone in your list gets it. I think that they can
even read it archived online if they wish.

This has potential -- but (I obviously haven't delved deeply into it yet) is
there anything the recipient has to "join" in order to receive the
newsletter? Or is it just essentially automated email?

The main drawback of Yahoo Groups is the requirement to "join" the group
through a rather extensive series of web-based forms. I know a lot of our
old-timers (and some of our young-timers, too!) regard using the internet as
a giant pain in the butt, and I fear they would take one look at it and
throw their hands up in frustration.

These same folks USE email every day -- so while I want MY end to be
web-based, I want THEIR end to come through as email (if they want) OR be
web-based.

I want to make membership in this group as painless as possible -- for the
recipients and for me!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

The main drawback of Yahoo Groups is the requirement to "join" the group
through a rather extensive series of web-based forms. I know a lot of our
old-timers (and some of our young-timers, too!) regard using the internet
as a giant pain in the butt, and I fear they would take one look at it and
throw their hands up in frustration.

Most mailing list software makes joining far simpler than Yahoo. But there
will be a confirmation process through which your members will have to go.
It should be as easy as replying to a message or "clicking" upon a link in
an email they receive.

Unfortunately, to fail to confirm is to invite a system to be abused. It's
the sad truth of today's Internet.

There is some software which you can run on your own local machine that will
let you run a small broadcast-only list. But many ISPs prohibit this sort
of thing because a spammer could be using it as easily as you. Again: an
unfortunate truth of how things have evolved.

- Andrew

On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 01:03:38 GMT, Jay Honeck wrote:

Take a look at http://www.coollist.com . I send out a "newsletter" type
email from time to time, and this works just fine. Just type out your
"email", hit send and everyone in your list gets it. I think that they can
even read it archived online if they wish.

This has potential -- but (I obviously haven't delved deeply into it yet) is
there anything the recipient has to "join" in order to receive the
newsletter? Or is it just essentially automated email?

this is called "confirmed opt-in"
you don't want to be listed to a hundred lists without your consent,
therefore you receive an automated email. you usually only have to reply
without changing anything and you are done.

The main drawback of Yahoo Groups is the requirement to "join" the group
through a rather extensive series of web-based forms. I know a lot of our
old-timers (and some of our young-timers, too!) regard using the internet as
a giant pain in the butt, and I fear they would take one look at it and
throw their hands up in frustration.


if you run soemthing like mailman you as the operator can unsubscribe and
subscribe through a web interface.

I have a test mailinglist running. you can contact me at martin AT hotze
DOT com and I will give you access to the test list so you can see it and
play with it. then you can ask your hoster if we can install this software
for you.

These same folks USE email every day -- so while I want MY end to be
web-based, I want THEIR end to come through as email (if they want) OR be
web-based.

I want to make membership in this group as painless as possible -- for the
recipients and for me!

I strongly suggest that you invest the money in a new domain solely for
this purpose.

martin

--
The more one is absorbed in fighting Evil,
the less one is tempted to place the Good
in question. (J.P. Sartre)

On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 10:08:22 GMT, Martin Hotze wrote:

then you can ask your hoster if we can install this software
^^^^
for you.

this shoud be 'he'. If he can host your site then he can also install this
software for you.

#m

--
The more one is absorbed in fighting Evil,
the less one is tempted to place the Good
in question. (J.P. Sartre)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:KfN0d.26593$MQ5.22945@attbi_s52...
Take a look at http://www.coollist.com . I send out a "newsletter" type
email from time to time, and this works just fine. Just type out your
"email", hit send and everyone in your list gets it. I think that they
can
even read it archived online if they wish.

This has potential -- but (I obviously haven't delved deeply into it yet)
is
there anything the recipient has to "join" in order to receive the
newsletter? Or is it just essentially automated email?


snip

Jay, if I remember correctly, you do it two different ways.

1) You enter the email addresses that you want to be included in the list. I
think that they are sent a confirmation email and they have to go to a link
to confirm or something. It's simple though, nothing like Yahoo.

2) The user goes to a link, then they enter their email address. I don't
think that there is any confirmation email this way.

You can also set it up as a public or private list.

Best of all, there is no software involved because it's all web based and
it's FREE!

Google also has started groups. It's at
http://groups-beta.google.com/?sourceid=ghpp but don't know anything about
it though. I have a feeling it is very similar though.

Let us know which route you decide to go.


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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