OnlineCollaboration

There are multiple options for speeding up and streamlining communications online compared to email chains, varying from simple to complex and basic to highly functional. Here's a list of the benefits & key points - I'll refer to all platforms as "discussion boards", whether it is Slack, Trello, Google Groups, Whatsapp, Signal, Telegram, Basecamp, Loomio, Discourse, Discord, Flarum, Guild, Geneva.....

- messages don't get lost or end up in spam folders

- all communication would be in one place alone per topic rather than mixed in with lots of other stuff in people's inboxes

- each group membership is done once, rather than blind & automatic "reply all" or manual per email with potential unplanned inclusions or exclusions

- discussions are kept in message order and not hacked apart by participants' diverse email clients

- discussions can easily branch without confusion

- they are always available, including for people coming late to the discussion

- accessibility & visibility can be restricted by participant or participant group

- discussions can be configured per participant to act just like an email conversation if required

- discussions can be summarised and mailed out per day or week automatically

- some platforms have the functionality to act like a mobile phone messaging app

- messages can contain images, screenshots, PDFs, links and other tech resources just like email and they don't disappear from the discussion when you hit 'reply'

- decisions or issues can be resolved by an online poll without needing to wait for an in-person meeting

- actual meeting times can be reduced

- the whole operation does not need much tweaking to make operation run smoothly during lockdowns and movement and meeting restrictions

At the end of the day, the ideal solution would be a discussion board with both a mobile app and a website, but unfortunately there is no free or cheap version like that.