<html> <body> At 11:52 PM 7/16/2008, Ron wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Without qualification, Ron N</blockquote> Credentials? Reservation? On the whole, I am with Ed.  Even before contemplating the outcome of such an effort, take a moment to examine the origination of the this, most current impulse: Requirements for contributing/posting Requirements for contributing - Time to chill? Requirements for contributing/posting and RPT status Forum format (was Re: Requirements for contributing/posting; RPT status Not to mention: Thoughts on being a Guild member or "non-member." Ed sed: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">if anyone is motivated, to undertake a small demonstration project, for example, to take the 1998 archives of CAUT </blockquote> Maybe start a bit simpler...like with this subject / thread/ whatever?   Are you/we trying to distill the kernel of undisputed truth from each subject/thread? or are we looking for more efficient search capability?  How many subjects are actually contained in the above list? Past Guild history and politics Guild's mission / objectives Guild's ongoing effort to define itself / resolve existential contradictions History of The Lists Testing Double posting Overuse of emoticons  (Hey! You can make your own list) CAUT vs. Pianotech Coping with information overload Effectiveness of LIST format  (List vs. Forum) Pianopedia vs. Forum Flashlights  (Jim Harvey) As David Ilvedson said, in his July 16th post titled:  <x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>         </x-tab>(?) <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Wait a minute...are we talking about a pianopedia/wikipianopedia or a forum version of pianotech?</blockquote> The format in which our day to day (on-line) conversation takes place is an issue apart from how those interactions are stored, organized, retrieved, and certainly, apart from any editing - distillation. I would pose an extension of Ron's question: "And who will be the one to make these decisions? "  Would it be the same people that already don't have time to read Pianotech (or the numerous other lists hosted by PTG,) or Piano World, or even <a href="http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/" eudora="autourl"> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/</a> ? I would like to ask Andy Rudoff, or anyone else who knows, the extent of any retroactive flexibility with the data presently contained in the archives.  If we came up with a more effective organizational tool, would the data be convertible?  Are there other obsessives out there, who, like me, have been saving all of this in alternate formats such as Eudora?  Would these be of any use in revising the organization of the archives (I suspect not). The issue of fully re-quoting previous posts as a reference remains unresolved.  The above post responds to: Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:11:37 -0400 From: Ed Sutton <ed440@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Forum format (was Re:<x-tab>       </x-tab> Requirementsforcontributing/posting; Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:52:19 -0500 From: Ron Nossaman <rnossaman@cox.net> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Forum format (was Re:<x-tab>       </x-tab> Requirementsforcontributing/posting;  RPT status David Skolnik Hastings on Hudson, NY </body> </html>