[Rhodes22-list] FAQ

Dennis J Sitler djsitler@gmpexpress.net
Wed, 20 Nov 2002 18:00:18 -0500


Hi Tom,
Thanks for all the work you have done. I have been to your site many times
as I work on my boat. I agree with Roger and hope you keep it up an running.

Denny

----- 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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>