e-mail directory, web geek requests, etc.

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

Happy new year, 

It sounds like you guys have things well under control! :)

This effect Merrill mentions is prevelant throughout the hobby, isn't it?  
Sounds very similar to our local club's BAP Curse.  Every time someone
takes on the job of BAP coordinator, the first thing they do is decide
they're going to rewrite the rules to make it "better", and about a month
later they disappear.

So, here's my official web guy report/request:

  * Has the November/December TAG arrived yet?  I notice I only have
    Sept/Oct contents up.

  * Any speaking engagements to announce?

  * Bookstore page has been updated.

  * Robert's suggestion of an e-mail list on the web site:

[Skip the rest of this message unless you are interested in technical
issues of maintaining an AGA member directory on the web.]

The main problem that will crop up in trying to do this is that the member
profile is changing month-to-month, and any such list on the web site is
only as good as the synchronization between the main member database and
the published list.  I think hand-tweaking is out of the question; after
you've done it once or twice and start having to account for people whose
membership has lapsed or their e-mail changed, you'll go mad. So it needs
to be automated.

The second problem (IMO) is that the membership form should probably have
some extra check box that says "OK to list my name and e-mail address"
before we go around publishing it.  Another field for the database.

Here is one possible way to do it: I can write a script or program that
automatically extracts the appropriate information from the AGA database
file and generates the pages.  Then it would become the resposibility of
the membership director to regularly run the script and e-mail or upload
the result.  Alternatively the database could be uploaded on a regular
basis and the script run from here.

Another possibility is just to run a free service on the web site for
listings and don't worry about whether people are members or not... it
then becomes the responsibility of the individuals to keep their own info
up-to-date, and we don't need any form of synchronization.   downside:
will have less participation because requires individuals to do the work,
not a perk of being a member, will get out-of-date for most entries.

   - Erik

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com