Rick, I think the issue is that google groups allows members to receive posts by email. This is important because there are a large number of N20 owners who have a much lower level of engagement with the web than most of us here. They simply don't have the inclination to visit a website on a regular basis just to find out if there is something new. Email on the other hand allows the class to push messages out to that broader audience. Given the importance of the issues currently under discussion, I think it's understandable that they have gone for this solution.