This is a great article discussing some of the pitfalls that I often site for groups overusing Listservs for group work.

The Bad In Email (or Why We Need Collaboration Software)

EXCERPT: "Email is Silo'ed
The single worst trait of email is that it’s silo’ed.

What I mean by silo’ed is that email traps information into personalized, unsharable, unsearchable vacuums where no one else can access it - the Email Inbox. Think of your Email Inbox as a heavily fortified walled garden. Not mentioning the difficulties many have accessing their Email Inbox outside the corporate firewall, the Email Inbox contains a hodgepodge of business, personal and private information that most people do not want to share with others.  "

So, if you're looking for justification to help groups your involved with move to something more sophisticated... here's some good info for you.

John Lorance
CompuMentor/TechSoup