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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/04/2005 : 18:01:56

Let's try something New!! We have moved the Tech Tips area into the Forum Area! There are three areas; General, Catalina 25, and Catalina 250. These will be read only forums. The idea is to bring the tech tips to the area that new members visit the most; the forums. With these new read only forums the search function should work far better and often not be needed. What we need now is a volunteer, we need YOU! We are looking for a volunteer for the new staff position of Site Tech Tips Editor. This staff member will have posting rights to the forums. The job will involve gleaning the best parts of the best threads and copying them to the appropriate Tech Tip Forum. By having only the new Staff Site Tech Tips Editor post in these areas we will have continuity of focus and quality.

So, is it you? Please contact any Officer, myself included to discuss this very important opportunity develop and improve our site. We all know how good our site is but we should not stand still. Be the one who steps up and makes a difference.

Frank Hopper
Catalina 25-250 Association Secretary

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2005 : 19:02:40

Great idea, Frank. Lets get threads like what outboard to purchase in there!

Members - we need a new staff volunteer. Spike and I can't take this on. Please help! You will get access to the special "Officers and Staff" only forum!!!!

Edited by - on

wmeinert@kconline.com
Past Commodore

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USA
353 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2005 : 10:23:34

Hey I Like this Idea!! I like it so much I will volenteer to be your guy. One of the first Tech Tips I need is a constant answer for, is what is the proper lengths for the whisker Pole depending on sail size? The boat show is next month and some of us are looking forward to possibly buying one for next years races. But hey, this is what I hope this new tech page will be for, to have a data bank of these easy to answer questions. Let me know if I can help.

Bill Meinert

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2005 : 10:40:18

What we want is a person who actively participates in the forums to select key threads of great interest (for example - how to select an outboard or whisker pole). This person would then pull the best of the questions and responses into a word document (or equivalent) and email it to Karen. Include graphics if available. Done.

Also willing to allow for a couple of volunteers to fill this position, perhaps a C250 owner would step up to help cover those boats.

Edited by - on

gnorgan
Admiral

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USA
563 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 00:33:25

I agree, this is a great idea. Have been wanting to see the tech tips section start growing again.
Just spoke with my Admiral and she said I could volunteer and said she'd even proof-read the copy before sending (she's a high school English teacher and sails often with me).
I noticed Bill volunteered above so that's okay. Maybe I could help by sending ideas that I find to him to give him a hand. A team effort maybe??
Whatever works out for this position is fine with me just as long as someone can help Spike and Jim and all the others keep this website going strong. I also teach so have plenty on my plate already. My wife thinks I volunteer way too much as it is.

Edited by - gnorgan on 01/06/2005 00:34:28

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 11:16:26

I say the more the merrier. A couple of volunteers for this position spreads the work out. Just don't duplicate effort (make sure you are doing seperate threads).

Here's an idea. Suppose you are following a thread with great interest, for example the thread about Gary Swenson and Ulman Sails Ventura. If one of you decides to nominate this to Tech Tip status, just post in the thread that you've got this one.

All you really have to do is wait for the discussion to die down and then cut and paste the initial question followed by your selection of responses into a MS Word document (or your choice of formats) and email the doc to spike@starrstuff.com . Make sure you put Catalina 25/250 in the subject of the email. In the body, make sure to tell her if its bound for the general, C25 or C250 Tech Tip forums.

If you want to include any photos that have been posted, save the photo to your local hard drive and then include it in the document you send to Karen or just send it as an attachment to the email. Make sure she knows where it goes in the article. This photo will now be permanently stored on the NA web site.

If the officers agree, we will appoint you two as official staff members and Spike will give you access to the special "Officers and Staff" forum (don't get too overwhelmed at this great honor).

Thanks and feel free to get started any time!!!!

-JimB

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 12:08:55

I'd also be willing to help out with this project. Those of us who would like to do this should coordinate our efforts via email.

Bill, as far as I know, there isn't a prescribed length except when racing. When racing, your pole cannot be longer than the distance between the mast base and the stem fitting. I believe because it could then be used, or is classified as a sprit.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - aeckhart on 01/06/2005 12:15:29

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 12:16:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by aeckhart
 ...Bill, as far as I know, there isn't a prescribed length except when racing. When racing, your pole cannot be longer than the distance between the mast base and the stem fitting. I believe because it could then be used, or is classified as a sprit...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Al,

A spinnaker pole can't be longer than the distance from stem fitting to mast (J dimension), but a whisker pole is generally the same length as the foot of the headsail.

Edited by - on

wmeinert@kconline.com
Past Commodore

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USA
353 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2005 : 14:29:52

I'm not real sure here who is going to help out on this tech page as it tends to get rather long winded. But I am sincerely interested in helping with this. Some infered that they want someone that is actively participating in the form and I understand that, but what this form fails to take notice of is how often people visit the site to read whats going on but never respond to the forms. Sometimes a responce is not needed or someone who has an umbilical cord wired into the system responds with the right answer. It is amazing how many times the same questions are asked over and over. That's why this tech page will be so great, thus my interest, so that we don't have to read the same old answers to simple questions from the same 100 people, So please if were are going to do this will one of the officers please select the group and lets talk off line to frim up the plan.

Bill Meinert

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 10:29:07

Hi everyone, Frank from the great ice storm of 05 here. I have no internet access now and have not had for several days. I came into work today and and trying to catch up. There are three forums and I would think Three people who were willing to stay in comunication with each other could ensure that the forums were fresh and valuable. Bill, you are a low posting veteran with a great deal of experience and knowledge, you are very qualified. Al, Gary, you are both perfect as well. Jim, lets take this over to the Admin area to discuss it with the other officers and staff.

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 13:34:45

I understand the intent here and think it is a good idea. However I would like to see one of the more senior C250 veteran's who is familiar enough with the 250 to also volunteer to be part of the tech tip editor staff. "just my two cents"

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 14:21:27

I have used web mail to check my two email accounts and there have been several more offers from qualified people. To all who have contacted me vis email, please post your names here. I may not have real access for a week or more and the other officers will want to have everyone's names to discuss

Edited by - on

Grego5
1st Mate

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USA
73 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 17:04:01

While not a long time poster, I have done a lot of digging through the site and have incorporated many of the ideas on my boat. Some of my frustration lead to a suggestion of posting some of the ideas in the Tech Tips. Since I made a suggestion I'm more than willing to belly up and spend some time enhancing our site. I'm more comfortable with the 250 but would be willing to help with a general area as well.

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 18:55:46

I think the number of posts a person has submitted to the forum is totally irrelevant, other than to show he/she is interested. We call a new member a "newbie", a name to which I have objected in the past. Just because a person is a new member, has nothing to do with his sailing/boating experience or expertise. Somebody retires as an ocean going captain who has been sailing the seven seas for 40 years, buys a a C25, joins the forum, and now he's a "newbie." Not to mention that a great number of our posts have nothing to do with our boats or sailing.

Edited by - on

frogger
Navigator

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USA
184 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2005 : 23:15:26

Speaking of 250's, WK, anybody have any ideas on on switching to a single backstay as opposed to a split, using boltrope instead of sail slides (slugs)or free , keeping 2nd gen rudder (or whatever) is it worth the change/modifications, recommendations for whisker pole (specific with numbers etc.), spinnaker (asymmetrical-types), wheel steering? options/modifications/setups? Whats and Hows?

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2005 : 14:01:46

I'm hesitant to offer my thoughts because I really don't want to dampen what in fact might actually work great because it offers a search engine and I understand the motivation for making the tech section move.

Maybe I misunderstand however the intent of the proposed mechanics but it seems to me that to rely on the forum only for tech offerings will be problematic for several reasons, the primary one being that the forum is designed to be... a forum. I do not know however what the forum is capable of if html code is turned on.

Tech offerings need the flexibilty of html coding. They also don't need the trappings and restrictions of screen space of the forum. Having said that, tieing the two together might accomplish the desired search engine goal and keep the tech tips in a format that is more suitable.

What I'm saying is that tech tips should be created in html as they are now... with a title and one sentence outline of the tip located in the forum and a link to the tech tip page. That would enable the forum search engine to manage tech tips searches.

I would also suggest that the tech editor have access to the directory where tech submissions reside for that boat. This would allow the editor to compose and post the tech submissions without hasseling Spike. Server access can be granted on a directory basis so the tech editor would only have acess to the area of their responsibility. Backups would ensure no loss as the editor would not have access to the backup directory or the backup is off the web.

Similarly, the editor would have write access to the tech sections of the forum to post the corresponding title and descriptions.

Creating html pages no longer requires expensive software or coding experience so there should be no struggle with those who would take on the task.

The basic page format used now could remain the model.

Edited by - on

Spike
Navigator

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141 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 13:16:51

Arlyn has some good points.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">What I'm saying is that tech tips should be created in html as they are now... with a title and one sentence outline of the tip located in the forum and a link to the tech tip page. That would enable the forum search engine to manage tech tips searches.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Right, and this way html won't have to be turned on in this forum keeping it free from potential problems. Also, there will be no space restrictions.

As far as hassling Spike goes, I'd rather be hassled a little than giving 6 or more people posting privelages or dirctory privilages and then having a really big problem due to user error. That is just too many people with access to this huge web site. Anyway, I'm not sure how many password protected directories our host allows.

I will post a sample of how it would work in the General Tech Tips section.

Spike

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 13:34:26

An Observation from One Who's Been There

Your website is fantastic, but I fear you may be going backwards with this idea.

As I recently posted on the first of the threads on this subject "Tech Tips" a few weeks ago, the critical measure of the success of avoiding repetition is the search engine. It essentially makes the entire site one great big encyclopedia.

If you are intent on "capturing" the "best of..." items, then you're heading in a different direction.

What we did (on our C34 'site, which has many of the same features that you have here) is to engage associate webmasters with specific responsibilities. For instance, before we had our message board, all we had was an email list. So, a few of us volunteers got together, and "captured" the interesting emailed posts and replies, edited them, and made them into FAQs. Others contributed their own larger stories with pictures, and we made those into Projects.

We continue our message board, because there's always something new, and have found the "cut & paste" to make the FAQs has essentially died out. This is because of one thing, and one thing only: our message board search engine. Anyone can search for "best outboard motor for a C25" and get lots of hits.

Yes, we do have "complaints" about the fact that there is almost too much information, which is pretty much the issue you're facing.

I've had lots of time outs on your search engine, and don't know enough about computers to know why (even when searching only one or two words).

If you approach this as a long term project, with a few folks responsible for collecting and posting, it sounds like it will be a big help, unless you consider that the information is already there and maybe just needs a better way to find it.

All the best,

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 13:58:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
I will post a sample of how it would work in the General Tech Tips section.

Spike
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
 
Spike – Will the “New” tech tips be published on the web site’s [url="http://www.catalina25-250.org/tech/tech.html"] Tech Tips page[/url] and then the forum post will link to that topic or page like you did with the “Burgee” post? If so I think that is great. I am concerned that the Association’s web site is not being made to be an asset for our members.
Just a question. Your “Burgee” post, does that still have a space for a signature? If so could a generic “signature” be added that encourages the reader to explore the rest of the web site?

Underlined words are a HOT link.

Edited by - on

Admin
Forum Admin

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460 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 14:38:28

Good idea about the signature part. I'll add something like that at the bottom of each thread.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 17:45:08

I have sent emails to five people regarding their volunteering for the positions.

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 18:02:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Admin
 Good idea about the signature part. I'll add something like that at the bottom of each thread.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's great Spike.
Hopefully we will generate interest in the entire web site.

Edited by - on

Admin
Forum Admin

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460 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 19:13:17

I think it's time to un-sticky this thread.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2005 : 20:18:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Admin
 I think it's time to un-sticky this thread.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Do it

Edited by - on

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