[KLUG Members] have we ever considered running a forum?

[Robert G. Brown]

On Fri, 13 Jun 2003 13:16:12 -0400, Tony Gettig <tony@gettig.net> wrote:

>Quoting "Robert G. Brown" <bob@acm.org>:
>
>> On Fri, 13 Jun 2003 12:20:45 -0400, Tony Gettig <tony@gettig.net> wrote:
>> >.... 
>> >Then the knowledgebase of this fine group would be accessible anytime from
>> any 
>> >browser, not just an inbox. Well, it kind of is now with the list archive. 
>> Um, it either is, or it is not, Tony. :)
>> This is, by your writing, not a compelling argument in favor of a forum.
>OK, I confess! It is! :)
Wow, not much of an argument three! :)

>> >There are other features too like download areas, surveys, and links.
>> Which we develop in any case, as needed.
>And actually, that's probably the best argument for NOT moving to a 
>forum...control over what is out there. phpnuke is nice and all, but it's a 
>big system with it's own security issues at times. If you write it yourself, 
>you know it inside and out.
This is true enough, there are other reasons, as well.

>It should not be construed that I am in favor of moving to forums, but rather 
>I was just raising some of the possible pluses. Personally, I prefer an email 
>list because just about any wireless device out there has email support, 
>whereas web browsing on a handheld device rather stinks, IMO. And wireless is 
>important around here. :)

I neither support or oppose forums as such, but I tend to think that as a LUG 
we woiuld do well to code rather more than less of the software we use to run
our website. No, this does not mean we ought to dump Apache, PHP, and sendmail
and write it all from scratch (hey, let's dump those wimpy C compilers, and
glibc and the kernel too! :), but it does mean that we have a really good
opportunity to provide opportunities to many people to learn, create, and 
contribute to the effort. Moreover, it allows us to present our own image to 
the world, which in turn keeps us in the business of exhibiting what keeps 
KLUG special.

I think the use of stuff like PHPNuke, while very slick and easy to admin,
tends to put something of a damping effoect of these characteristics of a 
group, even in theory. I have use PHPNuke and other tools, not to broaden
opportunities, but rather to restrict them, and make what has become some-
thing of a boring and repetitive job easy and simple to do, even at the cost
of individuality.

There may be some more practical reasons for not wanting to go to forums, like 
bandwidth use, but the reason I've focused on here is primarily organizational

							Regards,
							---> RGB <---