[pianotech] Email Lists and Websites

[Duaine Hechler]

This is in response to Allan's message.

In the beginning, I was commissioned to build a website for my
neighbors' business.

Not knowing anything about the internet, I asked around and did research
on my own.

I found that the use of HTML "frames" was, new then, and  the easiest.
That has been - 20 - years ago - and - still in use today.

It was - extremely - simple to setup, use and update.

                    Header
---------------------------------------
TOC  |
         |             TV (Main Window)
entry |
         |
link   |
----------------------------------------
                 Footer

Header - Title (non-scrolling)
Footer - Copyright / message (non-scrolling)
TOC - click-able entries that load into the TV or new browser window
(scrollable)
TV - changeable pages (scrolling)

Simple and straight forward - don't have to learn JavaScript, don't have
to learn flash, don't have to learn how to build click-able graphics,
don't need another software package to install and learn - basically no
much frills

At one time, I was managing - 5 - websites - all - volunteer work.

My churches' website, the local ptg chapters' website, my sons' Boy
Scout website, my business website
(http://www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com/) and my Barbershoppers' website
(http://www.fvbbs.org/index.html)

This is not to be bragging - but - the point I'm making - is that, one -
has - to keep things simple - to keep ones' sanity.

Currently, along with being a piano and organ tech, a personal life,
being in the barbershop chorus, etc, I am - currently - maintaining my
business website - and - my barbershop website.

Since my piano and organ tech career started very slow (you know -
breaking into new territory), I decided to start a "store front" being a
reseller of supplies to the do-it-yourself'er.

Which adds another level of updating - products, prices, inventory, etc.

All of this and at the same time - dumping Windows and learning Linux -
plus installing and trying - 5 - shopping carts before finding the
simplest one and still give me what I needed functionality wise.

In the last 10 years, I get people calling me about the "Search Engine
Optimization" where by my websites are - not - getting the widest
possible country wide exposure and that I need to scrap the HTML
"frames" and go with something more up-to-date.

With all the packages I've looked at - nothing out there keeps me as
simple as what I'm currently using - so I'm sacrificing my advertising
exposure to keep what I need to do simple and easy to maintain.

That doesn't mean I've stopped looking - I'm looking all the time - as
soon as I find something that I can live with and still be simple - then
I'll switch.

As it is, the Barbershop website may never switch because someday, I'll
need to turn it over to someone else.

Bottom line, I'm not sure of the exact point of this message, other
than, that, if you are a volunteer and to keep your sanity, you - must -
keep it as simple to maintain as possible - even if it means using
out-of-date technology - and - limiting yourself on flashy frills.

Best regards,
Duaine

P.S. Unless I missed it, where is the PTG store front ?

-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
Reed Organ Society Member
Florissant, MO 63034
(314) 838-5587
dahechler at att.net
www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
--
Home & Business user of Linux - 11 years