[Rhodes22-list] FAQ

[Roger Pihlaja]

Tom,

Well, as a frequent contributer to our FAQ site, I for one REALLY appreciate
the job you've done.  I can't even begin to guess at the number of times
I've either copied something off our FAQ site or simply refered someone to
it.  I think it's turned out to be one of the most useful features of the
Rhodes List.

You've done such a splendid job at organizing our FAQ site that I wouldn't
want to take it away from you.  As far as I'm concerned, as long as you want
to run it, even if you occasionally get a little behind in updating it, it's
your FAQ site.  If you ever get tired of it, please don't simply delete it
out of existance!  Let one of us know & we will find some way to maintain
it.

Is there some particular way to alert you when some particular post really
belongs on the FAQ site that wouldn't be huge burden for you?

I think MJM was simply reacting to the silence from your end & meant no
disrespect.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: <LogicUnltd@aol.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] FAQ


> Hello Everyone.
>
> Well, I guess I need to jump in and shoot my mouth off.
>
> For those that may not be aware of how the "old" FAQ pages came about,
please
> allow me to provide a brief history. 2+ years ago I began on the
Rhodes-list,
> I enjoyed reading all the emails and I collected several because they were
> topics I was particularly interested in. There was a thread about starting
a
> FAQ site. I really wasn't aware of all the prior discussion; I was
interested
> in web development, so I just jumped in. Put together a few ideas and
edited
> my collected emails into several FAQ topics. I then solicited the list for
> people to send their collected emails, only a couple of people responded
most
> notably - Doug. He did a lot of work organizing emails. See the problem
is,
> people tend to ignore the subject line when they change topics. So someone
> needs to cull through the emails to group them into topics. Doug did a
great
> job.
>
> After the first few months, I gave up soliciting for questions and/or
> answers. So I set upon the task by myself of collecting emails by topic
and
> periodically formatting them into an html page and posting them. After a
> couple of years my "excitement" for the task has faded a bit. Recently, 2
> events have overwhelmed me and I frankly haven't done much. First, I've
> gotten very busy at work, really too busy, but that should be changing in
a
> few weeks (normal business cycle). Second, I believe there has been an
> explosion of off topic emails on the list. If I don't check my mailbox
> regularly there are hundreds of emails, with all sorts of stuff. Which is
> great socially, but just for piece of mind and saving time I sometimes
just
> delete without really reading and deciding if this could, maybe, hopefully
be
> something for the FAQ site.
>
> As for MJM remarks about my not responding to his back channel emails
about
> the FAQ site. Yes, I ignored him. I was reluctant to give up something
that I
> had worked many hours on and the second reason is a bit hard to explain.
My
> company blocks access to sites it deems non-business, but it doesn't block
> sites hosted by yahoo (I really don't know why) So I can get to the "OLD"
> site from my work but I can not access www.rhodes22.org from work. So
again I
> was reluctant to give up access. I actually do look at stuff all the time
on
> the "OLD" site. Yeah I can do it from home. So I probably need to just
relax.
> Another reason for not wanting to give up the site was that I simply
enjoyed
> working on it and felt that I was contributing to the group. I don't feel
I
> have much in the way of sailing expertise to offer so I was offering what
I
> could which was my web skills.
>
> Anyway, what's my bottom line on the "NEW" FAQ page? I can see the great
> potential in it. It would be great if everyone participated and worked at
> contributing by offering thoughtful questions and/or answers. I challenge
> everyone to do that. I hope we can realize that potential. I do think
someone
> has to edit for content and appropriateness for the topic so I have my
doubts
> about "self-managing".
>
> I look at other sailing groups web sites, I'm sure you all have, I believe
> all the other site's FAQ have been administrated by a single person.
Almost
> all of them have pictures included within the text. So we can be the first
to
> be "interactive" and self-administered. It will only succeed, if we all
make
> an effort to contribute. I will do what I can.
>
> I will still keep my "old" site, which I will update, I guess, for my
> personal needs but everyone is always welcome.
>
> Thank you for listening and visiting the site in the past.
>
> I need a beer
>
> Best Regards
>
> Tom Evans
> S/V Tom's Foolery
>
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