This week, in conjunction with the opening of mmoos.net, the official website of MMOOS, our local Apple user group, we’ve also started up a mail list. The purpose of our website and the mail list is to provide online community for Mac users in the Mid-Coast Maine area. (and all over the world, for that matter).

“Community” means being able to share our toils, troubles (yes, Virginia, Mac users sometimes run into troubles), and triumphs. For example, the website now contains archives of the Keynote presentations from all of this year’s meetings. We’ll expand the site to become a more comprehensive resource for users, as well a place for MMOOS mmembers to “strut their stuff”.

Plus, MMOOSers and other Apple enthusiasts who are preparing to move south for the winter can stay connected with those of us choosing to remain and brave the Maine winter.

Back to the mail list. If you’re unfamiliar with mail lists, here’s how they work. You subscribe to the mail list by filling out a simple form – all you need is an email address. When you send an email to the list email address, all other subscribers to the list receive the email automatically.

Let’s look at a “real world” example. Let’s say I’m in the market for a photo-quality printer. I send an email to the mail list asking for printer recommendations. Other list subscribers get the email, and offer their experiences and wisdom. Everyone reads everyone else’s responses, most likely spawning other questions that everyone can respond to. Having a problem? Someone one the list has probably had and solved your problem, or knows someone or somewhere you can turn to for help.

Once a “thread” gets started it takes on a life of its own, and can multiply faster than the Andromeda Strain. If you find that the list is generating too many individual emails for your time or taste, you can easily subscribe to one email a day containing a digest of list traffic.

Our list will be “moderated”, so that anyone with a lack of decorum or with nefarious motives can be quickly banished from the community.

We’ve named the list “MMOOSdroppings”, in honor of our former actually-printed-on-paper (what an archaic notion) newsletter. To subscribe, point your browser at mmoos.net and follow the instructions there. Hope to see your smiling email address in the MMOOS town hall soon!

© 2006 Peter F. Zimowski