Public Forums Online ( join in )

Places to Create Open Forums (for free)

Delphi ( Web-based conferencing )

Create Email Discussion Lists ( several sources )

Local Open Forums

Cleveland.com ( at the Plain Dealer )

Global Forums

SKEPTIX email discussion List ( Garrison Hilliard )

Signup page.

Skeptic Society Forum on Delphi (Web-Based )

Usenet bit.listserv.skeptic ( if your browser supports news

Usenet: sci.skeptic discussion ( if your browser supports news)

Note: If you get a password error on the above link,, that means your Internet service provider requires a separate login to access their news server Contact your ISP to find out what browser settings are needed.  If your browser doesn't support the right type of login, you can download  Free Agent  (free) or use the free news service at www.deja.com.  -- J.K.

Pacifica Public Radio Discussion  Forums

Pacifica is a West-coast network with a strong emphasis on intellectual freedom, free thought, and skepticism toward public policy. Their Web-based public discussion forums reflect that.  Pacifica's website also has archives of investigative journalism and sundry heresy and humor

.C-Span Public Policy Discussion Forums

The C-Span Public Affairs Network provides live House and Senate cable  coverage, also debates, booknotes etc., and supplementary material online.  They also have a section on Constitutional law and Congressional precedent.

CNN Discussion Forums

Several dozen forums range from topics of the day to permanent topics such as "media responsibility".  Postings appear at once, unless you run afoul of the foul-language filter.  (You can't post "pussyfoot" for example, but "pusillanimous" is OK.)

7,300+ Electronic Mailing Lists ( da Silva's Index and Subscription Info )

These are mailing lists you can subscribe to via email, on  every conceivable topic.  Instructions are provided.  The majority of such lists are unmoderated, i.e. anything you post to  the list is immediately routed to all subscribers.

 

Don't subscribe to too many lists at once   or your mailbox may overflow.  You  can get extra mailboxes free for your bulk-mail at places such as juno.com, or click on "Search" in your browser and look for "Free Email" (example). Don't expect much privacy or real anonymity on free services.  --  J.K.

40,000 Electronic Mailing Lists ( CataList catalog )

Get NEW-LIST  Notifications (free) By Email (or publish a notice)

New nailing lists are created every day, on topics ranging from the popular to the esoteric.  List owners advertise here if they know about it.  You can subscribe by email to get every notification, or search the above site for past notices.

 

Free-Nets and Community Access Systems

Links to over 100 Web-based systems.  You needn't  live there to join.  In most cases you just request a free account, or pay a very small fee. . Some systems have hundreds of forums and Q&A sections on everything from health to hobbies and politics.  A few systems even provide free space for your webpage.  Most provide a spare Internet mailbox.  Community forums typically have 10,000 to 50,000 users.  Their newsgroups are somewhat shielded from the overcrowding and turbo-posting seen on Usenet, since only registered users can post.  Most forums are run by outside volunteers, not necessarily from the local area.

Listings (at Lights.com)

Listings (at OCFN, not all are current)