[Public-List] Circumnavigations
Jeffrey
fongemie at gmail.com
Sat Oct 20 05:40:11 PDT 2012
On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 10:22 PM, Michael Grosh <dickdurk at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't fully understand how a forum would be different than the
> interaction shown on the A30 list when someone has a problem.
> MichaelGrosh
> #220
>
In my opinion, the differences are subtle but important. I look at
email lists as a long running (rambling) conversation. Since email
lists are "push" technology when I email the group I know that
everyone will likely get my message. I've befitted from this in the
past when I've asked a question, and received many great responses
back within minutes! Also, since we all are tied to our email, we all
end up staying on top of what's going on, whether we participate or
not. So, for longtime owners who are familiar with the others, and
the topics at hand the list is indeed convenient and efficient.
Forums on the other hand, are more "pull"..a user must visit the forum
to pull the content, which is a downside. I post a question, and hope
someone sees it. While not as immediate, I find this not to be a
problem on most of the forums I visit since users tend to visit the
forum as much as checking email. Where forums shine, is the natural
organization of topics and threaded conversations. For a new Alberg
owner, the robust search tools threaded conversations organized by
topic are a real plus. Before I stumbled across my A30 I was looking
at Cape Dory, and after sitting down and literally reading through all
the Cape Dory association forums I knew tons about the boat. You can
read the conversations as if in real time. It was a real advantage
when boat shopping and making decisions. I did the same with the
Alberg lists, and it is much more difficult to digest. You can't just
scan by topic, you need to search by topic. What if there's an
important topic you don't know of. Also, forums include all sorts of
added learning tools. For example, someone visiting the Cape Dory
forum might come across a post that is obviously from someone very
knowledgeable, ..you can then look at that user and see his profile
and easily see other posts he's written. There are some fantastic
phone apps that really make forum use easy on a phone, easy as
checking email.
Images. Forums have a slight advantage in that you can display an
image inline. With the email list, we can only add links to images
hosted elsewhere. Note that you end up using a third party image host
for both. The more robust forum applications I've set up recently no
longer allow the uploading of binary attachments.
I should also say that most of the successful forums I visit are
powered by large communities. We all may not be enough to fuel a
forum. When the topics slow down, I think users tend to visit less,
which leads to less new topics, less visits and the forum dies. How
many Alberg owners are there? Certainly not as many as cape Dory
owners.
-jeff
Jeff Fongemie
#116 Seagrass
http://picasaweb.google.com/fongemie
> On Oct 19, 2012 8:02 PM, "Jeffrey" <fongemie at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> As much as I dislike stirring the pot here, I must admit that when I
>> was considering getting an Alberg30 I found it difficult to go through
>> the email list archives to pull information. I ended up using Google
>> advanced searches, and spent hours wandering through the lists in an
>> effort to digest it all. When you search, the results are disconnected
>> so you end up reading everything and grouping topics in your head, at
>> least that's what I did.
>>
>> If I had a choice, I'd much rather interact using a forum..for many
>> reasons. If used correctly, threaded discussions are easier to
>> follow, and it is easier to describe something when you can add a
>> picture to what you are typing. I could go on. I build websites for
>> a living in the past I set up managed a few listservs and in recent
>> years set up and loosely managed many of the popular forums
>> applications and can say that a forum is no more difficult to manage
>> than a listserv on a mail server.
>>
>> One concern I have is that the information contained in the old Yahoo
>> lists and the current list archive is backed up. That information is
>> gold to a new Alberg owner. I still look stuff up in the archives.
>> Are there separate backups of the archives?
>>
>> I don't intend to slight this list or the website in any way. I'm
>> grateful for the list and website as a resource..just offering my
>> opinion.
>>
>> Jeff Fongemie
>> #116 Seagrass
>>
>> http://picasaweb.google.com/fongemie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 6:00 PM, j_l_brown <j_l_brown at shaw.ca> wrote:
>> > There are already forums, from the alberg section on sail net to the
>> > Plastic classic forum. The last thing needed is yet another one boat
>> > only half dead forum where no one posts. If a collective decision could be
>> > made to redirect interested people to one sub forum specifically that works
>> > already that would maximize participation. I looked at all of those and
>> > read archives here for months before signing up. A move to one of them
>> > vs starting yet another forum that will remain half active at best makes a
>> > lot of sense. The list archives are challenging to navigate as is the site
>> > and wiki, mast support beam repairs for example, there is no one location
>> > with links to all, but several different pages that don't link to each other
>> > reciprocally. In the end the best instructions were on the list, yet they
>> > are not on the site anywhere i could . The list of alberg 30s and owners is
>> > interesting but I can find no info about the boat I have now, including my
>> > own info last I checked though I found traces of at least one other owner on
>> > forums.
>> > I have a ton of projects I'd be happy to post pictures of but the
>> > complications in doing so here mean I don't really tend to.
>> >
>> > A lot of work goes into the site and list I'm sure but it's confusing vs
>> > a standardized forum where it is easier to contribute. The tremendous
>> > refit by Chrisncate on
>> > Sail net comes to mind.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Samsung Mobilempcylinderheads at gmail.com wrote:My boat means more to me
>> > than any association could bring. I don't put a dollar value on my boat. I
>> > am sure deticated Triton owner could careless of a dollar value. I bet those
>> > boats mean more to them today than when the assoc was up and
>> > running....Pretty bold!!
>> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: George Dinwiddie <gdinwiddie at alberg30.org>
>> > Sender: public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.orgDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2012
>> > 16:58:16
>> > To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all<public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>> > Reply-To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
>> > <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>> > Subject: Re: [Public-List] Circumnavigations
>> >
>> > Hi Mr. Cylinder Head (or whatever your name might be),
>> >
>> > On 10/19/12 4:19 PM, mpcylinderheads at gmail.com wrote:
>> >> I would become a member of association if website was more organized
>> >> and had a forum. I see no benefit to being a member with the web
>> >> pages and outdated website
>> >
>> > I'm sorry you don't like the website, but it's not owned by the
>> > Association. It, and the mailing lists, are services I provide at no
>> > charge. In fact, I even let the Association sell ads on the website at
>> > no charge. So don't let the website be an impediment to joining the
>> > Association, assuming you own an Alberg 30.
>> >
>> > Membership in the Alberg 30 Association is the cheapest thing an Alberg
>> > 30 owner can buy to maintain the value of their boat. It's having an
>> > active class association that keeps the boat values up. Look how the
>> > value of a Pearson Triton fell when the Triton Associations started to
>> > dwindle. Having a collection of people who are knowledgeable about the
>> > boat, who can and will help others deal with the inevitable maintenance
>> > issues, and who use the boat actively is an incredible boon to boat
>> > owners.
>> >
>> > I'd be interested in knowing how you think it could be better organized,
>> > but I have no interest in the additional labor it would take to manage
>> > an online forum.
>> >
>> >> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>> >
>> > <chuckle> Talk about outdated. ;-) I hope that RIM stays in business for
>> > you.
>> >
>> > - George
>> >
>> > --
>> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > When I remember bygone days George Dinwiddie
>> > I think how evening follows morn; gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
>> > So many I loved were not yet dead, http://www.Alberg30.org
>> > So many I love were not yet born. also see:
>> > 'The Middle' by Ogden Nash http://idiacomputing.com
>> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > These businesses support your Association:
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>> > Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> > http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > These businesses support your Association:
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>> > Please support them.
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Public-List mailing list
>> > Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> > http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > These businesses support your Association:
>> > http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>> > Please support them.
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Public-List mailing list
>> > Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> > http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jeffrey Fongemie
>> _______________________________________________
>> These businesses support your Association:
>> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
>> Please support them.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Public-List mailing list
>> Public-List at lists.alberg30.org
>> http://lists.alberg30.org/listinfo.cgi/public-list-alberg30.org
--
Jeffrey Fongemie
1350736811.0
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