Reference Material on web-site and CD-ROM

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

Hi Everyone,

Glad to see that the digest is working again. Thanks Erik.

I've been thinking about both the web-site and the material it could/should
contain. Obviously, so has Erik:

> For the content, I like to start with lists of things we need, organize to
> an outline, and work from there.
>
> For instance, I'd expect to see some of these pages(this is from memory, I
> don't have the proposal in front of me):
>
>   * What is it? (quick facts)
>   * Press release/info
>   * Entry form
>   * Points of contact
>   * Photography Tips
>   * Aquascaping Tips
>   * Scanning Tips
>   * Sample entry -- with ratings?
>   * Judging criteria
>
> (and on the judges private section of the site/CDROM)
>
>   * Judging criteria
>   * contact the other judges
>   * entries / place to score
>   * review/change scores
>   * summarize all entries

I agree with this list pretty much as it stands - it seems pretty
comprehensive to me. Most of the material required for this is already in
the Proposal and will only require minor tweaking to be suitable for use on
the web-site. I'm referring here to the "nuts and bolts" material regarding
the event itself - what is is, who is eligible, how to enter, who to
contact, etc.

The only parts which will need work are the Photography Tips, Scanning Tips
and Aquascaping Tips. What we have to decide, as a group, is HOW FAR we want
to take the background material which we present (and how far we CAN take
it).

One of the AGA's stated goals is education. While the AGA's traditional
stance has been more focused on culture techniques than on actual
aquascaping, the two are complimentary and I don't see any conflict or
problem with extending the focus to include the latter (the AGA MC may have
a problem with it though.....).

With this project, and more specifically the web-site (and ultimately the
CD-ROM), we have the opportunity to bring together a body of reference
material specifically focused on aquascaping aquariums which can compliment
the images entered into the event. This can serve to make the event even
more valuable to both the AGA and to the participants. It could also
increase the chances of success of the project for future years - we would
be sowing the seeds we hope to harvest later.

But do we WANT to do this?

Thinking back over the past seven months, I remember how often we engaged in
"flights of fancy" (or rather, how I enganged in them.... <g>), only to be
brought down to Earth by someone like Olga or Karen reminding me to keep
things focused and pared down to a manageable size.

For the reference material, we could, as a mimimum, provide the links I
collected and presented on the mock web-site
(http://www.interlog.com/~jpurch/webs/aga-contest/resources.htm), having
first ASKED and RECEIVED permission to do so from each of the authors or
organizations involved. This list was of course preliminary and I am open to
including material others might know of.

Would this be more "reasonable" not to mention more "do-able" for a first
stab at an event of this type? It would still address the educational aspect
of promoting aquascaping techniques, but in a manner which would involve a
lot less work on our part.

As an aside, I have e-mailed Diana Walstad, who looks after back issue sales
of TAG and asked her is there would be any problems with us reproducing
aquascaping articles previously published in TAG.

What do you think?

James Purchase
Toronto


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