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| Author |
Message |
rcurl
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Suggestion Box
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Nov 7 07:09 UTC 1994 |
We've had a Suggestion Box in Coop before, to collect - and encourage -
ideas from users. It disappears on Coop restarts (along with its
"contents", which is sometimes too bad, as there have been good but
unimplemented ideas). Anyway, here is the NEW Suggestion Box.
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| 48 responses total. |
rcurl
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response 1 of 48:
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Nov 7 07:13 UTC 1994 |
I recently got CD-ROM and the Grolier Encyclopedia. This has been handy
both on-line here, and off-line, for general use. It occured to me that
users might find access to such an Encyclopedia useful. It would involve
including a CD-ROM drive on the system's SCSI chain (when that is all
stable again). There are probably a whole slew of technical questions (the
articles have non-ASCII headers and highlight, etc), as well as whether
our system could support this. But it would be a public service, and
that's the name of our game. Is it feasible and desirable?
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srw
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response 2 of 48:
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Nov 7 08:04 UTC 1994 |
Assuming that the technical problems would be solvable, do you think that
the CD Rom's license would allow for this kind of usage? Offhand, I'd
seriously doubt it.
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carson
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response 3 of 48:
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Nov 7 11:39 UTC 1994 |
I don't imagine that such a license would be difficult to get, save for
potential expense. Perhaps we could get a license for an older version
without too much expense in exchange for mentioning the existence of a
newer version of whatever CD-Roms we put on-line.
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chelsea
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response 4 of 48:
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Nov 7 14:17 UTC 1994 |
Regarding a "Suggestions" item. I'd be happy to link over this
item from conference to conference if that's what folks would like.
I don't recall how large the item was but the other choice is to
simply enter it anew, each restart. Whatever the preference.
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rcurl
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response 5 of 48:
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Nov 7 15:34 UTC 1994 |
It should probably be an agora Item, linked here (or vica versa).
We'd probabloy pick up more suggestions, if it had more visibility.
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rcurl
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response 6 of 48:
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Nov 7 16:35 UTC 1994 |
The licensing on the home version does say: "Except as provided in this
license, you may not copy, modify, network, rent, lease, or otherwise
distribute the Software; nor may you make the Software available by
"bulletin boards", online services, remote dial-in, or network or
telecommunications links of any kind......."
What that tells me is that we'd have to talk to Grolier or Software
Toolworks. Our use would be like having the encyclopedia in a library. It
would not be as though the *whole thing* would be available for
downloading - just for reading. Anyway, it could be looked into. And, it
would be good advertising for the company, as was pointed out.
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remmers
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response 7 of 48:
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Nov 8 03:37 UTC 1994 |
Unless a plain ascii version of Grolier already exists, I'd imagine that
the technical problems involved with making it available here are pretty
formidable.
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rcurl
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response 8 of 48:
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Nov 8 05:35 UTC 1994 |
The encyclopedia has a Save option, which saves only in plain ascii.
The question is, how would it be read in plain ascii? Maybe Grolier/
ST would tell us.
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lucky
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response 9 of 48:
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Nov 22 16:09 UTC 1994 |
EVERYONE PLEASE READ !!!!
I "WAS" a member on grex! nd i say that because, when you pay for a service
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lucky
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response 10 of 48:
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Nov 22 16:35 UTC 1994 |
EVERYONE PLEASE READ !!!!!
I "was" a paying member here,but when you pay for somthing you exspect to be
able to use the services that are here,From the first day i became a member I
could not read the "news groups" and now you cant even use "IRC" the only thing
you can do is "telnet" and then you can't even go everywhere with tIf i was in
charge of things and was making people pay for the service i would make sure it
was operag right!!!! not someone that lives in another state thats a helper
here!!! ya know what i mean? i don't want to sound like a bad guy, All i am
saying is there is somthing realy messed up!And i would like NEW people
here,that are thinking about paying you can join "icnet" the one this place
obtains there internet service from for 30 bucks a month and ya get software to
make it easier to navagate and a 9600 connection,and i am sure you will never
have a problem using any of the wounderful things offered! So i realy hope that
this message is not deleted,and it would be nice if "grex" fixed there system!!
because its bad buisness when you offer somthing that ya can't
provied.....thank ya help
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kentn
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response 11 of 48:
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Nov 22 17:48 UTC 1994 |
Grex isn't "making people pay"
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rcurl
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response 12 of 48:
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Nov 22 22:05 UTC 1994 |
More fully, Michael, Grex charges no fees and sells no services. Dues are
donations. Grex is a non-profit, volunteer operated, corporation, operated
for the simple pleasures of cooperation and comradship. If you want an
efficient, "business like" operation, you did exactly what you should do:
buy the srvice you w ant from a commercial service provider. However, if
you want to enjoy the companionshipo offered here on Grex, we would be
pleased to have you participating here.
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steve
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response 13 of 48:
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Nov 22 22:53 UTC 1994 |
I do feel badly about this.
We have a most "interesting" problem of a lot of things that
need to be done, and fewer people available than needed for the
tasks at hand.
I'll be commenting more later tonight.
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robh
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response 14 of 48:
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Nov 23 00:10 UTC 1994 |
lucky - If you can afford 30 bucks a month, and would rather
use a private system, great, have fun, see ya around.
I'm a member of Grex because it's a community, and it's
a community I'm proud to be able to contribute to in whatever
way I can manage.
Rest assured, our staff doesn't ignore the problems you've
mentioned, but our resources are limited. Also, the
reason IRC is down is due to a Trojan Horse within the
program, and we have enough security problems, thank you.
And if you would run a system differently, by all means do.
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chip
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response 15 of 48:
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Nov 23 03:28 UTC 1994 |
Lucky, if I understand what he's saying, doesn't appear to
have a good understanding of what Grex is all about. I hope
he takes time to look things over again. Learning can be
frusterating for both the student and the teacher, but the
end result is worth it, I think.
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carson
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response 16 of 48:
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Nov 23 04:09 UTC 1994 |
I wish I knew enough about Unix to help. I can't even program
in BASIC, though. :(
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chelsea
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response 17 of 48:
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Nov 23 04:46 UTC 1994 |
I think there is a message being conveyed here that isn't all that
comfortable to take and is being largely ignored for lack of knowing
what to do about it. Some folks aren't logging in for the walks,
or the chats, or the comradship. They are logging in for computer
skills and various resources and are finding the system not suitable
for their needs. And when they report their feelings they are told
they simply don't understand what Grex is about, go elsewhere.
I thought Grex was about what the users want it to be. These folks
count too. I keep coming back to the fact we need to find some way
to either get a more stable system up and running, or find a way to
be less dependant on the few techie volunteers we depend upon so
heavily, or both. Either that or we'll soon be a great social club
and not much else.
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chelsea
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response 18 of 48:
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Nov 23 04:48 UTC 1994 |
Er, make that dependent and comradeship.
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rcurl
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response 19 of 48:
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Nov 23 06:43 UTC 1994 |
There are some things Grex cannot be, even if users wanted it to be.
It is limited by being a non-profit, membership based, Michigan
corporation, and by being all volunteer (i.e., no resources to
hire employees, buy T1 link, etc). However, it is certainly true
that *everyone counts* - they just can't all have their way.
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robh
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response 20 of 48:
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Nov 23 12:10 UTC 1994 |
chelsea - I could rant and rave some more, but that won't
get us anywhere, so I'll ask - what can we do? Apart from
offering our staff enough of a salary so they can quit their
jobs and work for Grex full-time, or asking them to leave
their families, etc. I can't thing of anything more that can
be done, apart from becoming (gasp!) a full-fledged commercial
Internet provider, which I don't want, and I'm sure you
don't want either.
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chip
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response 21 of 48:
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Nov 23 12:12 UTC 1994 |
I agree with Rane. Joining Grex with expectations of service
provided by an commercial internet provider is akin to joining
the boyscouts for a Club Med vacation. However, you do have
a point regarding basics, chelsea. I'd expect the boyscouts to
provide, or at least give instruction on how to get food,
shelter, etc. I do think Grex, in a cooperative effort by its
members and friends, is doing a good job at trying to provide
those basics. 'Course there's always room for improvement.
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chelsea
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response 22 of 48:
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Nov 23 12:50 UTC 1994 |
Grex doesn't owe anyone anything. Our staff doesn't have an
obligation to do a fraction of what they're doing. But that
doesn't translate into telling those who are looking for things
like Usenet and other features that Grex isn't "about" that.
Restoring Usenet may not be a priority at the moment with all
the fires that are burning but I sure see enough users interested
that we should consider it part of what we do. And if these
folks who are looking for features and not friends decide to go
elsewhere with their support money they shouldn't be told they don't
get what this is all about. I think they get it just fine it's
just that their priorities don't quite match the majorities
priorities. But they get it just fine.
Robh asks me what I think we should do. Fair question. I'd start
by pretending STeve and Greg have both moved to Alaska. What
would be our next move?
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n8nxf
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response 23 of 48:
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Nov 23 13:42 UTC 1994 |
There seems to be another point missing here. From what I read, lucky
seems to have misunderstood what he was getting when he sent in his $'s
to join the Gerx community. He obviously though that he would have
access to Usenet and IRC. The question is, why did he think this? His
source of information seems to have been flawed. Perhaps he sould be asked
where he got his information and, if possible, that source should be
clarified.
I too miss Usenet, but I also understand what Grex is and how it works...
For the most part;-)
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carson
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response 24 of 48:
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Nov 23 14:10 UTC 1994 |
what is Grex about?
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