# Why do you need a forum and a mailing list? **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [September 25, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242 "2015-09-25T00:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freshfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@freshfish](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/freshfish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242/1 "2015-09-25T00:12:24Z")
Why do you need a forum and a [mailing list](http://forum.mattermost.com/t/new-mattermost-mailing-lists/183)? Why are these conversations not happening on Mattermost itself? Isn’t the idea of Mattermost to replace email (and forums)? ---
**Author:** ![alerque](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/alerque/32/93_2.png) [@alerque](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/alerque)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242/2 "2015-09-25T07:31:51Z")
A team based chat server serves a very different function that either forums or a mailing list. Mattermost is a chat system. It’s possible that having a chat system can take some of the load off on other mediums your team might have used, but forums service a different kind of use case and I don’t think one is designed to replace the other. ---
**Author:** ![freshfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@freshfish](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/freshfish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 9:16am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242/3 "2015-09-25T09:16:57Z")
I still miss something like Google Wave, where the gap between forum and chat is alsmost disappearing. Having a forum and a chat (with persistent history) means there will be two data silos. And then e.g. with Gitlab, there are also the issue comments. Three places to get lost. Hmm, I’d like to see something that solves this problem. ---
**Author:** ![alerque](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/alerque/32/93_2.png) [@alerque](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/alerque)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242/4 "2015-09-25T11:52:13Z")
So what do you expect to have happen? The forum shutdown? Abandon the issue tracker? Do everything in chat? What exactly do you suggest? You want some all-inclusive product that does issue tracking, chat, wiki, forums, handles email, shares documents and cooks eggs? Some of us are much happier with services that target one need and do that well. Discourse is pretty nice for when discussion is what is called for. Stack exchange works much better for questions and answers. Slack beats the pants off an issue tracker for keeping tabs on your team, but nothing beats and issue tracker making sure bugs get fixed in your code. Also you realize this Mattermost is being open-sourced by a software team that could have kept it to themselves or sold it right? And you’re complaining about too much community engagement? It seems like they are doing a fine job to me. ---
**Author:** ![it33](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/it33/32/3_2.png) [@it33](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/it33)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-need-a-forum-and-a-mailing-list/242/5 "2015-09-25T13:19:40Z")
We want to talk to Mattermost users in whichever channel they’re most comfortable, please [see related thread](http://forum.mattermost.com/t/why-do-you-use-jira-not-gitlab/244/6?u=it33)