Plone NGO Mailing List Christian Aid go for Microsoft over Open Source

sisi sisi at foei.org
Thu Nov 16 14:18:42 UTC 2006



Andy McKay wrote:
> Unfortunately offline is here to stay for quite a long time, and for
> organisations that go into places with poor internet connectivity a
> common problem that isn't going to get solved soon. Gosh I have problems
> getting online in the north of england :)

+1
Poor internet connectivity is not just to do with the technology
available but largely to do with a country's communications
infrastructure and political situation.

Many of us on this list either work in or with organisations in
countries where water or electricity aren't taken for granted, never
mind internet connectivity.

My preference is to integrate email lists. People tend to want to use
the tools they are used to, and email is so institutional now. It's the
way most people communicate electronically, it allows easy access when
on a dial up connection and most people have an email address for
communicating with friends, family, and other work contacts. And it's
cross platform. So why would we make them access yet another tool in
order to collaborate? At any rate, in my organisation people are very
resistant to moving away from email as a way of collaboration and
communication. Very.

But, as Peter pointed out "Sole use of email usually  means a dramatic
loss institutional memory" Yup! Couldn't agree more.

So if we can integrate email lists into plone, I think we'd have a good
collaboration tool. I'm personally pinning my hopes on Listen. I know
this does not work so well with collaborating on documents but in my
experience people want to stick with word documents, track changes and
email. That's what they want because it's also what they know, and it's
easy.

If there is any chance of designing an online/ offline solution that
makes sense for people I'm very interested in supporting it. After all,
people flocked to skype and instant messaging. These tools can be
intrusive and entail people being constantly online, but they were easy
enough for people to adopt without a steep learning curve.

For the time being, did I mention Listen yet? :-)

Cheers,
sisi

-- 
# sisi nutt # extranet coordinator
# Friends of the Earth International
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