
Ask HN: Simple plain text email lists/newsletters? - osel
I am involved with several charities than need a super basic email&#x2F;notificaiton service for contacting members.  Simple stuff like announcing upcoming events etc.<p>Currently we use gmail contact groups with BCC, but it&#x27;s cumbersome and prone to mistakes.  There is also the constant fear of passing google&#x27;s permitted messages limits.<p>In looking for alternatives almost everything I search for is totally marketing focused with complicated &#x27;campaigns&#x27;.  I would much prefer an old style listserv&#x2F;mailman service - craft your email locally, send it to list@mydoma.in and everyone receives a copy.<p>Does such a simple thing exist anyway in a form I don&#x27;t have to manage myself?
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brudgers
To me, time spent making a better email distribution _might_ be better spent
developing a social media presence. Making it easier to blast emails makes
your life easier, it does not necessarily broaden communication or reach more
members. Some people are sending your emails to spam but might feel guilty
about hitting the unsubscribe.

Social media gives people an ability to connect with your organization rather
than just _receive notifications_. It lets an organization meet people where
they are...nobody wants to be "on email".

~~~
osel
Thanks for the suggestions, definitely something to ponder.

Email is the fallback as a lot of our members don't use social media, but
there is an interesting idea in something akin to TinyLetter for
notificaiton/events that can be subscribed to.

~~~
brudgers
I am not suggesting getting rid of email. I am suggesting that it is COBOL, a
legacy system not a direction in which to _grow_ communications. Maintain it,
sure.

Hopefully, the percentage of members who _only_ use email is shrinking due to
attrition and the organization attracting younger members.

