Yahoo has just made public its plans to kill its yahoogroups email lists by December. I actually have about 15 of these, most since the late 90s. Most have many less than one post a month, many none at all for quite some time by now. That said, I do like having them and was wondering if anyone had any ideas for alternative places to set something like these up? Yahoogroups are of course free to run, and I'm just not motivated enough to spend any money for replacement alternatives.
The Yahoogroups that I used to be on, and that are still active, have gone over to Googlegroups. Which are essentially the same thing but in some ways with a more user-friendly set-up.
Is there any charge for them?
I might know an interested friend with an art topic she wants to open up to online conversation.
M.
2 months seems a short time period to kill off something that affects so many people. I run
Quote from: mamselle on October 21, 2019, 08:46:44 PM
Is there any charge for them?
I might know an interested friend with an art topic she wants to open up to online conversation.
M.
Google groups are free to start, but you do need a Google account.
https://www.dummies.com/education/internet-basics/what-is-google-groups/
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en (How to create a Google account)
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Google-Group
I own a couple of groups. Yahoo didn't even send an email to group owners about this. And there is just a week to try to notify members about alternatives. It's all very annoying!
That short notice is the killer. The CHE gave us adequate notice to move, but a couple weeks is hard.
For those who want to read more: Understand What's Changing in Yahoo Groups (https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN31010.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9hcnN0ZWNobmljYS5jb20vaW5mb3JtYXRpb24tdGVjaG5vbG9neS8yMDE5LzEwL3lhaG9vLWlzLWRlbGV0aW5nLWFsbC1jb250ZW50LWV2ZXItcG9zdGVkLXRvLXlhaG9vLWdyb3Vwcy8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGCGl9o8IdBz6_imFBen0cjgRAydGodfvxEMJmJUMz-ODiR_jMB61a5E9Vfwl0BwBQogc1zKWWSgU6AFaCGVOmypIUjBCXgEb7Rgq8WFoseUBla3ENYZrTGkt_6U_B7JmoXrEbGuXPZMpSEUwuJzvQKka7Nr_XOzUUGbFroS-ghA)
No new content can be uploaded to the website after 28 October, although the mailing lists will still be operative.
All content on the sites will be deleted on 14 December.
Quote from: polly_mer on October 22, 2019, 04:01:03 AM
Quote from: mamselle on October 21, 2019, 08:46:44 PM
Is there any charge for them?
I might know an interested friend with an art topic she wants to open up to online conversation.
M.
Google groups are free to start, but you do need a Google account.
https://www.dummies.com/education/internet-basics/what-is-google-groups/
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en (How to create a Google account)
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Google-Group
Thanks!
I think her email is a gmail account, so that would mean she would just be able to start one, right?
I've just forwarded the info. Appreciated!
M.
I'm subscribed to one for the neighborhood where I work; it's an active list. I set it to receive posts in digest format so I get one or two of these a day.
For me, I use it to post upcoming events of interest at the branch library to the group.
I'm not a fan of Google groups. People experience a lot of problems trying to sign up.
Quote from: downer on October 22, 2019, 08:05:27 PM
I'm not a fan of Google groups. People experience a lot of problems trying to sign up.
So what are the other alternatives? I tend to run with techie crowds who just run their own listservs and maintain their own sites. I'm not the person to give advice on user-friendly alternatives to Yahoo Groups.
Quote from: polly_mer on October 23, 2019, 06:00:27 AM
Quote from: downer on October 22, 2019, 08:05:27 PM
I'm not a fan of Google groups. People experience a lot of problems trying to sign up.
So what are the other alternatives? I tend to run with techie crowds who just run their own listservs and maintain their own sites. I'm not the person to give advice on user-friendly alternatives to Yahoo Groups.
I'm sure that all sorts of alternatives exist. The problem is finding free good ones that are likely to exist for a long time. In the long run, it is probably simpler to work out the problems with the Google groups, which hopefully will exist for many years.
Of course, many universities provide listservs for faculty use. I belong to a bunch. But I don't have a FT job at this stage, and I don't want to start something up that I will lose if I stop working at a place. It's also rare to find a university IT dept that communicates well on a reliable basis. I'm not sure why -- maybe something to do with a high turnover of staff.
Quote from: polly_mer on October 23, 2019, 06:00:27 AM
Quote from: downer on October 22, 2019, 08:05:27 PM
I'm not a fan of Google groups. People experience a lot of problems trying to sign up.
So what are the other alternatives? I tend to run with techie crowds who just run their own listservs and maintain their own sites. I'm not the person to give advice on user-friendly alternatives to Yahoo Groups.
Groups.io is an alternative that seems fairly robust. They offer a free level for creating a group, but if you want to transfer, they are now requiring a one year premium subscription--probably because of large amounts of content being transferred. The premium account can lapse at the end of a year.
Hmmm...this time, wondering for myself...does WordPress have groups?
Never thought about it but I can see one part of my stuff that might do well to have that.
My friend, by the way, had been on a couple Y-groups and didn't know they were going out.
So she thanks the thread for the heads-up, and for the backup info, and is looking at alternatives as well, now.
M.
Sudden changes in policy with little time for adjustment is a sign that a company is in trouble or being mismanaged. At least that is my cynical observation. I notice this with eBay with whom I have a love hate relationship. Of course it could be much worse such as having your email cut off by your employer one week after graduation with no warning. I am also an alumnus of the same school and they still have the nerve to ask me for money.
I got information that Yahoogroups are not closing down as such. Emails will still work to the groups. The difference will be that messages are not stored.
https://betanews.com/2019/10/17/yahoo-groups-closure/
If I read this link correctly, my groups will become private but existing members will still be able to send new posts to the group list for immediate distribution, but no such posts will be stored or archived? Or am I reading it wrong?
I think that's right. But we will find out tomorrow and in the following weeks.
I didn't even think I was IN a Yahoo group, but I just got this email:
Dear Group Moderators and Members,
Last month we notified you of the changes coming to Yahoo Groups that better align with user habits, and today we are providing an update to guide you through the next steps of the transition. Yahoo Groups is not going away - but we are making adjustments to ultimately serve you better. We are amazed at the vibrant community you've created through Yahoo Groups and we want to make sure you feel supported as we introduce these changes.
The following changes were made since our last communication:
• Users can now only join a Yahoo Group through an invite or group request approval by the Group Moderator.
• New Groups can't be public. They can only be private (not listed in Groups directory, membership by invitation only) or restricted (listed in Groups directory, membership requests must be approved by a Group Moderator).
• Members must share all content via email, and can no longer upload or host new content on the Yahoo Groups website itself.
The following changes will be made on December 14, 2019:
• Public groups will no longer exist. All existing public Groups will become restricted Groups that require Group Moderator approval to join.
• Any content that was previously uploaded via the website will be removed.
If you would like to keep any of the content you've posted or stored within your Yahoo Group, please download it by December 14 by accessing the Groups Download Manager at this link. Once you provide your preferred email address, we will send you a confirmation of your download request and notify you once the download is complete.
You will receive a link to a downloadable zip file via email for each of your Groups organized into a separate folder. Download time varies depending on the amount of information and file size.
If your download request is made by 11:59pm PST on Saturday, December 14, 2019, your content will not be deleted until your download is complete. We are unable to accommodate any download requests made after this deadline.
This is the final reminder to download your content. You can find additional information about the upcoming changes here.
We have worked extensively with our customer support team to develop recommendations for tools that can help you with any download issues. See help article here.
We have watched the evolution of Yahoo Groups with awe, as we grew to a community of millions with over 10 million Groups. Every day, we witness the power of community and shared passions, and our mission is to provide a platform for the strong connections people make with each other around their interests.
We thank you for being part of the Yahoo Groups community and look forward to continuing to provide ways for you to connect with one another about your shared interests and passions.
Sincerely,
The Groups Team