PBEMs and Mailing Lists

[tribe]

Just a quick poll to see how other PBEMs are currently being run.

I'm thinking about using a mailing list and wanted to know about the variety of brands out there and their reliability.

Any recommendations would be fantastic.

[tribe]

Does anyone have anything positive or negative to tell me about:

"Your Mailing List Provider"
http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/premium.html

It costs money. It doesn't have adds. Anyone know anything more?

[bblackmoor]

The great thing about YahooGroups is that it's a web-based forum *and* a mailing list. It's the best of both worlds. And it's free, of course (the "cost" of the service is a few lines of advertisement at the bottom of each email, and no one says you have to read that).

It is, in my opinion, the best way to run a pbem. Will it always be the best? Who can say? But for now, I wouldn't run a pbem any other way.

[nexus]

Just a quick poll to see how other PBEMs are currently being run.

I'm thinking about using a mailing list and wanted to know about the variety of brands out there and their reliability.

Any recommendations would be fantastic.

Yahoogroups is free, but its service can be iffy and they have some pretty draconian rules about content. I still use it for larger games though as its pretty much the best option that I've found that doesn't cost anything. Expect some degree of frustration at times (delayed or lost posts, members dropped unexpectantly, etc). If your group is going to include any "adult" material be sure to keep back ups of the mailing addresses as sometimes yahoo purges such groups unexpectantly, if they get a complaint or happen to look in and see something they don't like.

I actually prefer direct email if possible. It helps moderate the flow of posts a bit and prevents some aggravating things from happening.

[Hawksmoor]

Silly free is free. Plus the message search functions work well as the game becomes a mesh of Play by Post and PBEM.

I wonder if Yahoo Plus or other members have access to a better quality of YahooGroup?

Hawksmoor

[WhammeWhamme]

Yahoogroups is free, but its service can be iffy and they have some pretty draconian rules about content. I still use it for larger games though as its pretty much the best option that I've found that doesn't cost anything. Expect some degree of frustration at times (delayed or lost posts, members dropped unexpectantly, etc). If your group is going to include any "adult" material be sure to keep back ups of the mailing addresses as sometimes yahoo purges such groups unexpectantly, if they get a complaint or happen to look in and see something they don't like.

I actually prefer direct email if possible. It helps moderate the flow of posts a bit and prevents some aggravating things from happening.

I've never seen such problems when I've used it; okay, I haven't pushed the 'adult content' boundary (I believe they have a special sub-section of their site for such things, actually), but I haven't really seen much of a problem with vanishing emails - maybe it's something on your end?

[Vondy]

Baby, I'm low-tech. I run my e-mail games out of my e-mail client. I used rules. A message board would be cool, but I don't want to deal with hosting and management.

[nexus]

I've never seen such problems when I've used it; okay, I haven't pushed the 'adult content' boundary (I believe they have a special sub-section of their site for such things, actually), but I haven't really seen much of a problem with vanishing emails - maybe it's something on your end?

I don't think its at my end because almost everyone I know has had the same problem with yahoogroups regardless of ISP. Its been dubbed "Yahell", in fact so its not uncommon. Its very intermittent (usually only getting intolerably bad every few weeks or so), but definitely a problem. Ususally if you have a yahoo mailing address it works like a charm, but not always.

And yes, there is an adult section. Sometimes groups there get nuked for no apparent reason as well. Yahoogroups is very concerned with maintaining a "Family friendly" stature and will delete groups and accounts at any complaint or for any violation of the rules. Some of the rules are unspoken though and that's cost some people their groups.

[Savinien]

Nothing beats HeroCentral.

Yahoo sucks. I've played quite a few games there and there's always a problem with people loosing emails/not getting them. I hate to have to go to Yahoo and deal with their constant pop-ups when trying to post.

I like threaded play by post with the option to reply via email. HeroCentral is nice for that, as is phpbb boards set up for play by post, only.

Plain email... Not so good, IMO.

[Vondy]

Can you download campaign logs from hero central. One of the reasons I like my simple e-mail client system is that I have everything right their in my inbox/outbox (all nicely set up with rules). Also, is there an easy way to convert an ongoing campaign to hero central? If I do switch over I'd like to get "the story thus far" up on the site.

[Agent 13]

I've never used it myself, but Google has a mailing list service similar to Yahoo.

http://groups-beta.google.com/

[Simon]

Can you download campaign logs from hero central. One of the reasons I like my simple e-mail client system is that I have everything right their in my inbox/outbox (all nicely set up with rules). Also, is there an easy way to convert an ongoing campaign to hero central? If I do switch over I'd like to get "the story thus far" up on the site.
When you join a campaign, one of the options that you can configure for your account on that campaign is when the site should send you emails.

You can opt to receive emails of all posts to the campaign messages board and/or the story board.

As for the "story thus far" -- there's any number of ways that you can do that....you can include the info on the campaign information page, you can put it into a post on the story board (and stick that post at the top of the page), etc.

[bblackmoor]

I don't think its at my end because almost everyone I know has had the same problem with yahoogroups regardless of ISP.

I've been using YahooGroups since it swallowed eGroups (which is what I used before that). I participate in a dozen or so groups, and have run three or four myself, minimum, that entire time. I have heard of people describing the problem you describe, but I have never seen it in any of the groups I run, nor in the ones in which I have actively participated.

I do know that if someone's email bounces, Yahoo will stop sending them mail, and they have to go in and re-set their email settings. I have seen that happen. And once in a great, great while -- like, say, once or twice a year -- there will be some hiccup that causes messages to get delayed by a day, or something like that. Annoying, yes, but nothing's been lost. Not in my groups, anyway.

Can't speak to the "draconian rules" concerning "adult" content, though. I wouldn't know anything about that.

[bblackmoor]

I hate to have to go to Yahoo and deal with their constant pop-ups...

Yahoo has pop-ups? I wouldn't know about that: I use Firefox. I don't see pop-ups unless I want to see them.

[nexus]

I've been using YahooGroups since it swallowed eGroups (which is what I used before that). I participate in a dozen or so groups, and have run three or four myself, minimum, that entire time. I have heard of people describing the problem you describe, but I have never seen it in any of the groups I run, nor in the ones in which I have actively participated.

I do know that if someone's email bounces, Yahoo will stop sending them mail, and they have to go in and re-set their email settings. I have seen that happen. And once in a great, great while -- like, say, once or twice a year -- there will be some hiccup that causes messages to get delayed by a day, or something like that. Annoying, yes, but nothing's been lost. Not in my groups, anyway.


As I said, the dependability of the system varies greatly from person to person. I've heard from people that say they have never had a problem with the system either, but I have also heard from those that have constants problems with it. I happen to be one of them. As for the mail delays, I've been caught up in them more like one or twice every couple of months. And posts just vanish quite frequently.

You wouldn't happen to have a yahoomail address, would you? They do suffer, logically, much less problems with yahoogroups than some ISPs.



Can't speak to the "draconian rules" concerning "adult" content, though. I wouldn't know anything about that.

One complaint about improper material and your group is deleted. No warning nor explanation. Improper material can be whatever that particular yahoogroups moderator doesn't like and some types of things are weight more heavily than others. SOme of it understandable, others highly subjective. There's no appeal and no warnings. Just your group is deleted and often your account. This also happens if someone complains quite often without any apparent verification of the facts.

[Curufea]

I've had timing problems with yahoogroups - the emails don't always circulate to everyone at the same time.

The most draconian PBeM I'm currently on is a message board for an Amber game - no drugs, violence, gambling or sex. I ask you, what else is there for an Amberite?
;-p