Re: [AGA-mcm] AGA and internet forums

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

Okay, this ACA thing is close to wrapping up so I'm going
to press the point. I nominate Larry to head up the "Forum
Project". He has some vision about what it should/could be
and knows how to organize.

sh

--- Larry Lampert <l_lampert@yahoo.com> wrote:

> EO Wrote: 
> 
> "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. "
> 
> Well in the beginning it won't be "better" than APC or
> Planted Tank or Algae Alley (Obvious made up name of
> what my current tank forum would be called ;-)), but
> give it time, C02 and light and a little fert it will
> grow. 
> 
> It goes without saying for me that TAG is and will
> still continue to be the single greatest reason to
> join the AGA period. There are other free forums as we
> have noted so why join just for a forum. Others may
> not agree but a forum simply can't compete with TAG,
> its apples and oranges.
> 
> Our mailing list for whatever reason never really grew
> past a certain stage, why I don't know but I think the
> fact that we did not want to "compete" with the APD
> may have had something to do with it.
> 
> The forums have a life cycle as just as List Serves do
> as Scott mentioned. Our forum has the potential to be
> bigger and have more staying power than any of the
> others. If done right it will complement our other
> offerings. 
> 
> 
> Look there will always be the "you can't satisfy
> crowd" so what? We aren't trying to satisfy the
> unsatiable. We just want to have an electronic means
> of providing a community for our group. If done right,
> and I know this crew will allow nothing less, it will
> become an invaluable resource. 
> 
> "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."
> 
> Why will it be better? Because we are the AGA that is
> why. The other forums are established ours is not but
> give it time. With the right people running it, this
> will fly. The experienced hobbyists will come. 
> 
> 
> "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."
> 
> 
> If we build it yes the will come, but only if we do it
> right. I don't want to do a forum just to do one
> either. I will volunteer to be a moderator and help
> out as much as I can since I have been harping on this
> for so long, but I don't have the skills to be the
> lead person on this. In fact, what are the skills we
> need?
> 
> As much as I hate to say it the APD is nearing the end
> of its life cycle whether it dies or not it likely
> will not ever play the significant role it did in the
> late nineties when I first started reading it.
> 
> With all of these new forums the hobby is splintering
> somewhat. Maybe its not a bad thing I don't know but I
> do know that our forum has the unique ability to serve
> as a hub for the aquatic plant hobby. That is what in
> the end will make it better.
> Regards,
> Larry
> 
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