I think I speak for many members of the Board when I say that I want to
see AVCNet continue to grow and prosper, but
my personal priorities mean that I can't put much time into it. It
needs a significant injection of new energy, time and enthusiasm, such
as Bob Kleckner brought until he had a major change in work
circumstances.
It seems to me that we need to attract new talent in 3 main areas,
namely public relations, web/list maintenance, and system
administration. Probably one good person would be enough in PR, but
several are needed in the other two. And, they probably won't come from
our list of old members. We need to find ways to target and attract two
audiences, people who are web and/or email savvy to the point of
developing web sites and managing list servers, and "techies" who know
Linux/Unix. The latter might be approached via the Maine Linux Users
Group. The former, I don't know. The L/A Macintosh Users Group? Bates
College students?
With several system administrators, we could:
- finish migrating the web site from the old PC to the iMac
- get the local search engine up and running and maintain it
- migrate the mail and lists server from the old Macs to the iMac so
that everything is running under Linux and on one machine
- set up web interfaces for the mailing lists (MHonarc or HyperMail) and
make them searchable
- provide for secure mailing lists
- develop and implement backup and disaster recovery plans (possible
purchase of a backup machine)
- possibly purchase and set up a "smart" UPS
- get site statistics running regularly, again
- set up proxy service for LPL
- investigate "portal" software
- help Web writers with technical aspects of doing more interactive
stuff with Javascript
- install MySQL so Web writers could start playing with database driven
stuff (portal might require it)
- set up web based email, ala Hotmail ("IMP" or "MailMan")
- set up file sharing so Web writers can update their pages without
having to deal with FTP (Samba & Netatalk)
- set up new domain names
With several Web/email administrators, we could:
- support and monitor many more email lists and promote AVCNet through
active participation in the lists and regularly reminding list users
that the service is provided by AVCNet
- continually look for local web sites and sites of local interest,
build links to them, and let PR know about them so an active
relationship can be pursued, which would include cross linking and
indexing for the local search engine
- look for and add useful local content that isn't being carried by
others
- develop or assist with putting more local non-profits up on our server
as they are brought in by PR
- collect useful web development tools and "widgets" for site developers
to use, as many ISPs have done
- build or acquire "templates" for easy building of web sites
With a good PR person, we could:
- promote our list server service for group communication (it's unique
in the area, as far as I know)
- promote our web hosting service to non-profits, especially given that
we can now support multiple domain names and assuming that we had Web
design/authoring volunteers to help develop/install sites
- promote our local search engine to existing local web sites (again, it
would be a unique community service)
- make AVCNet better known to all those who are trying to build
community in the L/A area (how about a Web site for the vacant lots to
gardens project, for example?)
- promote our advertising free personal web space
It seems to me that there's plenty more for AVCNet to do. It isn't that
we've run out of work. It's that the existing core group of volunteers
have "run out of steam". As Rick Speer put it, we "need new blood".
There're exciting new things happening on the Web and in e-mail. We
just need more people interested in doing them for the community.
--
Jim Hart
Androscoggin Valley Community Network
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