Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: using email and forums for discussion between meetings

[Elizabeth Stevenson (lilbert]

Hi, again, everyone!

As useful as a list like this can be, I still feel strongly that most issues
require face to face meetings. It is very easy to misinterpret people's
meaning in writing. Also, you mentioned differing comfort levels. That makes
the playing field inherently unequal. Email and online discussion can be
used to find out the general direction you need to go, but I wouldn't rely
on it for actual problem solving. Every time we have done something like
that it has blown up in our face. I realize it's easy for me to say, since
we already live in close proximity, but in my experience it hasn't worked
well for anything but simple stuff.


--
Liz Stevenson
Southside Park Cohousing
Sacramento, California

----------
>From: "Meg Justus" <megj [at] nwlink.com>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <cohousing-l [at] freedom2.mtn.org>
>Subject: using email and forums for discussion between meetings
>Date: Sun, Jul 9, 2000, 5:44 AM
>

> I was wondering what others' experience with this has been.  We are a
> relatively new group, spread rather thinly geographically, and would like to
> supplement our meetings with online discussions.  We have both a listserve,
> currently used mostly for passing around minutes and making announcements,
> and an almost brand-new Delphi forum.  Our comfort levels with the internet
> vary widely, however, and I wondered how other groups have
> used/overcome/worked this sort of thing out, so that everyone is involved as
> equally as they would be face-to-face.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Meg
>
>


----------
>From: "Meg Justus" <megj [at] nwlink.com>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <cohousing-l [at] freedom2.mtn.org>
>Subject: using email and forums for discussion between meetings
>Date: Sun, Jul 9, 2000, 5:44 AM
>

> I was wondering what others' experience with this has been.  We are a
> relatively new group, spread rather thinly geographically, and would like to
> supplement our meetings with online discussions.  We have both a listserve,
> currently used mostly for passing around minutes and making announcements,
> and an almost brand-new Delphi forum.  Our comfort levels with the internet
> vary widely, however, and I wondered how other groups have
> used/overcome/worked this sort of thing out, so that everyone is involved as
> equally as they would be face-to-face.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Meg
>
>