Foo - Alternative to Yahoo Groups?

a cycle club out of my local gym has talked about putting together some rides outside our typical 'wednesday runs'. I suggested setting up a Yahoo Group- the idea went over well.

But.... I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for similar free, easy to use group sites?

Ideally, I'd like to only have to invite/approve members, and would like the members to be able to run it themselves, by posting rides, sending messages, etc.

MSN groups used to be free, they may still be free.

Facebook has groups you can start. Stores images etc too. Quite handy for this sort of thing

Hm, ok I'll check out MSN.

Facebook would require them having an account- which based on the variety of membership age-wise and such, I'm thinking many wouldn't have or want to create an account.

google has groups. you can do a lot with them too, create message boards, calendars, listserv emails. many many options. You need to sign up to edit pages but not to use the websie.

How about forums? Like freeforums.org.

Eschew technology! Send letters!

letters? to hi-tech

http://bigeyedeer.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/smoke-signal.jpg

letters? to hi-tech

*snort*

If it can't be said via bongo drum, then it doesn't need to be said.

Paper cups and waxed string.

hm, I'll bring some of those great ideas up when we meet tonight. I'm thinking cups and string is the most economical.

I'm thinking a forum would be cool. I got 90% done setting one up- and then realized maybe people would prefer a yahoo/google groups they can just send an email? maybe not. that sounds like a flood of emails coming in, potentially.

argh, much easier to let someone else make these decisiosn and join their group :)

hm, I'll bring some of those great ideas up when we meet tonight.

Or you can just verbally discuss/schedule your rides when you meet, instead of discussing how to set up a group/forum on the interwebs.

.

hm, I'll bring some of those great ideas up when we meet tonight. I'm thinking D cups and G string is the most economical.

:)

fixed

mapmyrides has groups, etc.....as well as a mapping function for your routes......
a cycle club out of my local gym has talked about putting together some rides outside our typical 'wednesday runs'. I suggested setting up a Yahoo Group- the idea went over well.

But.... I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for similar free, easy to use group sites?

Ideally, I'd like to only have to invite/approve members, and would like the members to be able to run it themselves, by posting rides, sending messages, etc.

free forums won out :)

The Cincinnati Cycle Club uses google groups for emailed ride announcements:
http://groups.google.com/group/cyclecincinnati
I set up another google group for some group rides. It's easy to post a ride web page with the ride details, or just use the group as an annoucement mailing list.

you know there is a 3rd option? A combination of listserv and forums. Yahoo and google both have this option. If users do not want to be sent the "flood of emails" then they can simply go into the preferences and pick not to receive them. They can then log into the group and look at the messages that way, via the website.

Best of both worlds!

passed out cards tonight with the forum address on it- everyone seemed excited! Course I come home to find I am still only the registered user. I do recognize some people do things besides bike, go to happy hour with the cyclists, come home to do some bike maintenance, and then go home and cruise the net for bike stuff. Hopefully my little community will grow soon... :)

Accepting members from outside the area? :D

we are a secret society :)
I already broke the first and second rules to not talk about it.

outside our typical 'wednesday runs'.

Come to RAGBRAI.... :D