Membership database

Thu, 27 Jun 2002 18:13:15 -0700

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
> >
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> >=XeNW
> >-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
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