I've just started using PHPList.  I had no trouble getting it installed, and the small tests I've done are terrific.  I love how easy it is to set up pages for folks to subscribe which look just like my other web pages.  I love how easy it is to edit the content of the subscribe page and all the emails which are related to subscribing.  I love the lack of ads other than the PHPList icon.  I love the price.  ;-)  I love almost everything about it.

BUT (you knew there was a "but" coming)...

I don't like the fact that you can't just create an email in your favorite email software (Outlook, Netscape, AOL, whatever) and send it to some "magic" email address to have the message sent out to the list.

Instead, you have to go to a website, log in, and create the email in a web page which doesn't provide an easy way to format the text (bold, italics, etc).  Sure, I could suggest that the folks sending out the emails create a Word file and send that as an attachment.  Or I could teach them HTML so they could create formatted messages.  But everything else about this software is so slick that I can't believe how awkward it is to actually send out a message.

Am I missing something?  

Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the info, Stephan.  I see your point.  But I also suspect that the folks in our church who should use these email groups may not want to due to the extra step of logging in and the difficulty of producing a nicely formatted email to send.

It would be nice if PHPList at least provided the icons this bulletin board uses for formatting the text being entered into the email message.

Thanks again!