NRRTS listserv: Back by popular demand

LAGO VISTA, Texas - The NRRTS listserv returned to work recently after a brief retirement. NRRTS replaced the eight-year-old listserv with an online discussion forum March 6, but due to "a number of vocal registrants," the organization brought it back. "It wasn't worth sidetracking the real important issues like the rehab carve out by getting into a controversy with our members over the listserv and the forum," said Executive Director Simon Margolis. "We still think (the forum) is a better format, but for some people, it's hard to change." The listserv delivers postings automatically to each registrant's e-mail. With the forum, registrants logged on to a Web site to read postings organized into eight different categories: clinical; technical; legislative/regulatory; training/education; certification/registration; products; and a general catchall. When NRRTS debuted the forum in April, officials said it would make it easier for registrants to find topics of interest. Additionally, it would prevent dozens of postings from hitting registrants' e-mail systems each day. "We had several registrants remove themselves from the listserv," said NRRTS President Mike Seidel. "They said, 'I don't need this many e-mails per day on different topics.'" But registrants like Mike Daniels favor the listserv, and they're glad to see it back. "(The forum) was too complicated," said Daniels, owner of Acute Rehab in Valdosta, Ga. Since the listserv was created in 1999, it has delivered nearly 14,000 postings.