Membership database

Fri, 28 Jun 2002 09:14:48 -0700

Beginning of Kimi's rant......

I am busy 12 hours a day. I have many tasks that pop up here and there and 
many contacts.  If I did not want to be part of this listing, for the exact 
reasons you mentioned of being able to ask questions and get answers, then 
I wouldn't be here.

No one has stated at this point that you *have* to be part of a 
database.  My business is making money doing services and selling products 
that are run by and used on Debian.  My business is to know what I do and 
where my company is going.  However, I don't know everything and as much as 
people wish to think this, I don't know that much outside of running by 
business with Linux.

PLUG and AZOTO have both talked about projects and most people do them so 
that they can *market* their skills.  How is creating a database of those 
same people creating so much flak on this list?

That's what I want to find.  A database of skills that will help me help 
all of you.  If someone walks in my door with a need, I want to fulfill it, 
even if I am not paid.  That's the structure of our business and how come 
we are still here even though many ISP's are out of business or failing.

End of Kimi's rant.......

At 6/27/02, you wrote:
>I'm afraid I didn't sign up to this list to have my email put into a DB with
>a list of skills/references on me so that someone can go in there and just
>send me email whenever they have a problem. I thought that was what PLUG was
>for, to discuss the problem and get multiple points of view and figure out
>the best tool for the job.
>
>It's funny how a LOT of people complain about being on someone's SPAM list
>and when they get told "You can just delete it" they get VERY upset. "I
>didn't want to be on it in the FIRST place!" Your proposing to do that to
>everyone who hates SPAM.
>
>You talk about not wanting to have to go through all the emails PLUG
>generates to find the answers to your issues. *I* do not want to have to go
>thought all the PLUG emails AND everyones PERSONAL emails to me to find the
>answers I need. I get enough e-mail as it is, I do not need to wade through
>more. If someone sees I posted a response to answer a question and they wish
>to follow up with me privately, thats fine. But I don't want emails just
>coming out of the blue like crazy (NOT that I am saying you will. I am a
>newbie afterall, I'm just stating a view point :) The opposite applies. If
>someone whishes to give me an answer privately, that is also obviously ok.
>
>If anything, this idea would HAVE to be an Opt-In, not Opt-Out. Opt-Out is
>just as annoyng as MSN/hotmail signing you up for thier spam, not telling
>you, and then saying "Oh, well, its OPT-Out..."
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kimi A. Adams" <kimi@unitywave.com>
>To: <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
>Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 5:42 PM
>Subject: Re: Membership database
>
>
> > The purpose of any website or database that is accessible from outside is
> > to get to information.  Just like Google and other search engines, it's a
> > database that you would search for what you need from people who
> > register.  Hans stated there is something being worked on for the
> > website.  I have stated I have something available that can be tweaked to
> > preferences.
> >
> > However you send information about the database is fine by me.  SPAM or
> > not, if you don't want to read it, delete it.  We can promote it on the
> > website and on the lists, including the announce list.
> >
> > I won't go into whether processing time, display time, hard drive space,
> > etc. would be available or would take up too much of these resources.  The
> > point is that I am wanting more to find the information that I am looking
> > for instead of having to email the listing and searching through the email
> > responses to get what I want or need at the time.
> >
> > I know there are sites out there where I can search for things that I may
> > need or want at any given time, but PLUG people are who I turn to.  I want
> > to know that if I am looking for this one part or this one service or
> > someone who can wave this wand, that I can find it in my own time, rather
> > than having to drag myself through lot's of emails and calls that get me
> > off track from the "thing" I most want.
> >
> > Just kinda why I brought this up and how I would like to see things
> > improved upon.
> >
> > Kimi Adams
> > Unity Wave
> >
> > At 6/27/02, you wrote:
> > >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > >Hash: SHA1
> > >
> > >My thoughts on a member database.
> > >
> > >I think it is a great idea.  As of right now, we have little information
> > >about who is subscribed to any of the mailing lists, other than their
>mail
> > >address.  Some people might consider that a "good thing".
> > >
> > >Any membership information should be gathered voluntarily.  We should not
> > >require anyone to add information to the database.  We should warn them
>that
> > >we will collect at least the email address that they are using to
>subscribe
> > >to a list for the membership database.  We do, after all, consider anyone
> > >subscribed to any of our mail lists as a PLUG member (makes our numbers
>look
> > >really great).
> > >
> > >I bet we could get Brian to capture a snapshot of the current
>subscribers'
> > >email addresses from Mailman.  We could them mass-email all subscribers
> > >pointing them to a yet-to-be built web page with a form to fill out as
>much
> > >or as little information as they want in the database.  I bet we could
>even
> > >set up a mechanism to send new subscribers to get sent there
>automatically.
> > >Probably should set up a way to delete data when someone unsubscribes.
>This
> > >is tougher because a person may be subscribed to all the lists but only
>be
> > >unsubscribing from one or two.
> > >
> > >As far a web space for members, how much space do we have available that
>we
> > >can use for members' pages?  It is one thing to search the database and
> > >display data about one member, but it will take a lot more space if we
>set
> > >aside even 1M of space for every member.  It will take some resources for
>the
> > >database web page that collects the data and for the database and for the
> > >scripts that need to be written.  It will take more space to search and
> > >display routines based on criteria input (sounds like a job for our PhP
> > >gurus).
> > >
> > >All in all, I consider this a great project.  It would be even greater if
>we
> > >release all the tools after it is done.  I am almost surprised that
>another
> > >UG has not done something like this already.  So what do we need in terms
>of
> > >hardware, software, and manpower?  Who is gonna organize it? How many
>members
> > >would be interested in participating?
> > >- --
> > >Jim
> > >
> > >Freedom is worth protecting
> > >
> > >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > >Version: PGP 6.5.8
> > >
> > >iQA/AwUBPRta4isk3ywszI1FEQKgpQCeNUk3KndK5/aslwBtPG42kFb6JUYAnR1t
> > >qR5NkSwamOTOgLRJ+rIAeJDg
> > >=XeNW
> > >-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > >________________________________________________
> > >See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't
> > >post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
> > >
> > >PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > >http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> >
> > ________________________________________________
> > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't
>post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
> >
> > PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>
>________________________________________________
>See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't 
>post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
>
>PLUG-discuss mailing list  -  PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
>http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss