What is the problem with eGroups?
Posted: 29/01/2001 at 17:09 GMT
What is going on with eGroups? The US email
conferencing
system switched over from eGroups to Yahoo over the weekend, and it doesn't
seem
to have gone smoothly.
Yahoo says it is trying to assess user
reaction
to the switch. Allow us to help: There are a lot of annoyed eGroupers out
there.
A loyal Register reader let us know that the switch was made
with
no consultation, no warning and no choice.
In order to access an
eGroup,
our source tells us, a member of the group must now register for a Yahoo
user
ID, and sign up to Yahoo's terms and conditions.
"We have a
situation
where people are unable to access their own groups without registering with
Yahoo," she told us. "We can't even move out groups without giving Yahoo
our
details, something I am not keen to do."
Our source is concerned
that
Yahoo will own copyright on the content of the discussion. The privacy
policy is
also causing some concern.
"The terms and conditions are
unacceptable,"
our source told us. "I run a group where people post code. Why would anyone
want
to give away the copyright on their own code?"
We called Yahoo in
the UK
but it is apparently only a US switch, so far. The UK people are talking to
the
US people later today.
A spokeswoman told El Reg "I will put
this
on the agenda for discussion."
Yahoo, we wait with bated
breath