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Re: [AGA-mcm] AGA and internet forums
On Fri, 8 Jul 2005, Phil Edwards wrote:
You're both right. It is a very strong statement but is what I have found to
be the prevalent opinion of the people I've spoken with regarding TAG. This
has come from folks active on internet forums both, plant related and not
plant related, as well as people I've met face to face. I've received a lot
of "That's nice, but....[it's not enough]" when I show them what they get for
their membership fees. When asked why they had that reaction 99% said that
they could get more for free over the internet. Ever since Cheryl began
giving me back issues of TAG to hand out at meetings/conferences/local shops
I've been getting that reaction from the vast majority of people.
Occassionally I'll get a bite, but it's rare.
The thing is, though, that by and large at least half of what Karen puts
in TAG is *not* stuff available over the Internet. Kasselmann's articles,
for instance. So what that's saying to me is for those people, it doesn't
really matter. They can get *enough* over the Internet.
I guess I would ask, WHAT do you think these particular people would want
from the AGA as an organization?
I've asked this question on every forum I've been to and of most folks I talk
with/meet in person. Overwhelmingly they say that they want the AGA to have
an internet forum. Quarterly journals, regardless of the quality, can't
provide the feedback and learning environment that forums provide. The
internet provides options and opportunities that a print media journal can't
begin to offer. People want a place where they can ask questions and get
answers/help to their immediate problems without having to wait three months
for the next issue to come out while hoping that it might have something
related to their needs in it.
My perennial question is, what would make an AGA Internet Forum better
than the other ones out there? Clearly we already have a mailing list
that people can ask questions of this nature, and it is very lightly used.
Why would the AGA's forum be any better than APC for getting answers?
There is a far bigger pool of experienced hobbyists over there willing to
answer questions. That's my concern.
But maybe I'm completely wrong here, and by making it available, "they
will come". And I'm willing to try. From a technical standpoint, just
like the whole whoop-de-do photo gallery (that Jay was advertising would
fix the AGA's online presence), I could have BB software running here in a
day if we are OK with the legal issues. I'm so tired of having this
discussion and speculation every 9 months that I'm ready to just do it so
we can prove once and for all whether it "would help" or not. One
volunteer to be the head op, and I'll do it. Seriously.
- Erik
--
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com
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